Chaos Nazo
by Marik Female Double
Summary: Misuki and the gang get a visit from a celestial being who has come to rewrite the past. An entity of chaos wishes to collect the Emeralds and gain enough power to destroy the entire planet. The visitor, Silver keep close to the gang and told them every move the entity makes. But it becomes complicated as emotions run high and sacrifices symbolize the final outcome.
1. Prologue

Well, here it is \(w)/ The sequel to "Shadow's Regret" that I've been thinking up for a long time! I hope you all enjoy this as much as you enjoyed the first story ^^ Anyway, without further ado…here is "Chaos Nazo"!

**Prologue**

Two years had passed since the gang defeated Black Doom and got medals from the President as well as G.U.N. Shadow and Misuki have officially become a couple. Misuki, now 18-years old spends most of her free time looking over old projects her father was working on. She completes those that were unfinished, making adjustments on them and then sending them to the Commander of G.U.N. for approval. Sometimes she goes to the G.U.N. Headquarters to talk it over with him and the engineers.

Shadow of course goes on missions with Rouge (18) for G.U.N. He goes undercover and plays the role of terrorist, drug dealer and many other roles in order to get close to the criminals and take them down from the inside. His memories of Maria and Professor Gerald make him stronger as he faces every day and the surprises that come with it.

Amy (14) and Sonic (18) also became a couple and spend many hours and days together. Sonic still runs on a regular basis whenever he feels like it. He has entered in several foot races, making it fair for the other competitors. He also got calls from national track coaches, asking if he would like to join their teams. Sonic declined all of them, saying he only races in competitions for fun.

Tails (12) draws out and creates new aircraft designs. G.U.N. sometimes calls him to do maintenance on their aircrafts.

Charmy (9) became obsessed with fireworks and anything relating to fire. Basically, he became a pyromaniac. He spends his time reading comic books, playing with action figures and lighting things on fire legally in a cleared area outside of New York. He also continues helping his teammates, Vector (22) and Espio (20) solving mysteries. Sometimes Shadow asks them to help him with his missions. Espio also teaches Charmy some ninja techniques from time to time.

As for Knuckles (19) he trains professional fighters at a local gym a few blocks away from the house. He gets paid a reasonable amount of money per hour and receives a paycheck at the end of every month.

Cream (8) is still the same innocent little girl the gang loves as a baby sister. The room she shares with Amy is filled with little dolls and teddy bears they have bought her for her birthday and Christmas. Amy plays with her almost every day, dressing the dolls and doing their hair. Cheese plays with them too, and sometimes sleeps with one of the teddy bears at night.

They still gathered together whenever Eggman threatened the safety of the people and thwart his plans.

Because Misuki and Shadow's bond is so strong, she no longer spends time alone locked up in her room mourning the death of her mother. On that day, Shadow and the others take Misuki out to do something fun and spend time with each other as not only friends, but a newly formed family. At the end of the day, Shadow and Misuki would sit on the couch in front of the television, cuddled against each other. Misuki would fall asleep in his arms and Shadow would carry her to their room and lay with her. The room that Shadow once stayed in when he first came to stay with them became an extra closet filled with clothes and some of Misuki's father's files.

Besides Eggman occasionally terrorizing New York and them on the search for Chaos Emeralds to guard and protect, everything has been peaceful and carefree.

Author's Note: I decided to make a prologue for this one just to prepare you for everyone's new personalities. As for their ages, I added two years based on the ages they were in the game 'Sonic Heroes'. The profiles gave the characters ages ^^ If Misuki aged a little, the others should as well. Except for Shadow since he's been around for over 50 years lol. Yet many profiles I read said he has the appearance of a 16-year old, so in this story he'd be 18 like Misuki.


	2. A New Beginning

**Chapter One: A New Beginning**

**Misuki: **In her eyes, the day seemed brighter as she prepared the picnic supplies for their trip to a park outside of New York. The last couple of weeks have been hectic for everyone with work and projects needing to be done. But now they all set those aside to hang out with each other and let all their cares fade away. This weekend trip was going to be twice as exciting because tomorrow was Misuki's and Shadow's second anniversary. Last year, G.U.N. sent them on a paid trip to California where they stayed in a suite at a five-star hotel. They also got free passes to go to Disneyland where they spent most of that day in the water park eating frozen yogurt.

Misuki wanted this anniversary to be better than that one. They were going to have a private dinner together under the night sky and share a sleeping bag by the lake. "That's everything." She said to herself, setting the bag of cooking utensils with the rest of the equipment. She then went to check on her things to make sure she had everything. The one thing she made sure she packed was a small red box that she was going to give Shadow as an anniversary present. "I have to make sure this stays in a good place where he can't find it." She carefully placed the gift deep within her clothes when her communicator began to ring. "Hey Knuckles, you got the RV?"

"Yep, I signed the rental paperwork and we're good to go. I'm getting on the road now and I'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Is everyone almost ready to go?"

"I was about to check on everyone." She answered.

"Have you heard anything from Shadow?"

"He contacted me an hour ago and said he and Rouge were about to close the case they've been working on for the past two weeks. They're gonna wrap it up today and bring the culprits into custody. He said he'd try to be back before we leave."

"He'd better be."

"I know he will." Misuki said with a smile. "Those drug-dealing losers don't stand a chance against Shadow and Rouge."

"Well, I gotta get off here. See you all in a bit."

"See ya." Misuki hung up and went to see how everyone else was doing. The first two she checked on were Amy and Cream since Amy was taking a long time sorting through her clothes, trying to decide which outfits were the cutest to take. She knocked three times on her door. "Amy, Cream, are you guys almost ready?"

"You can come in, Misuki." Cream said.

When Misuki opened the door, there were piles of clothes scattered all around them. She couldn't help but let out a little chuckle when she saw the mess. "Umm, are you still having trouble deciding, Amy?"

Amy quickly fixed her hair and straightened her headband before zipping up her bag. "Nope, it took a while but I have everything I'm taking with me."

"That's good." Misuki smiled. "What about you, Cream? Is all your stuff packed up and ready to go?"

"Yep, I also packed some things for Cheese."

Misuki walked over to Cheese who was curled up in the bed slowly waking up from his nap. She picked him up and cuddled him which made him wake up more and coo. "Hey there, little fella. How about we go get you a little snack before we take off?"

Cheese nodded his head while rubbing his eyes.

"Knuckles is on his way. Make sure you put your things with the rest of the supplies." Misuki informed them. "Also Amy, could you check on Sonic for me? Tell him exactly what I just told you."

"I'm on it." She jumped up and ran out of the room and down the hall.

"Misuki, will Shadow be here soon too?" Cream asked.

"He said he'd be here before we leave. If not, we'll wait for a few minutes."

**Shadow: **"Rouge, are you in place?"

"Roger that. Proceed with caution."

"Leave it to me. Shadow out." He reloaded his gun before entering the hideout. He met two of the drug dealers just outside of the hideout.

They blocked his way, staring him down. "You the new guy?" One of them asked in a deep voice.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?"

They guys stared at each other before letting Shadow through. As he went through the door, he reached into the fur of his coat and turned on the mini microphone that hid within it. All Shadow thought about was getting back home to Misuki and prepare for their anniversary. 'I'm going to end this as quickly as possible.' "Hey Jerry, I'm here."

"Hey Drake! Glad you could make it." Jerry got up from his seat and greeted Shadow with a friendly tap on the back. "Is everything ready to go?" He had a very heavy Russian accent, but Shadow was able to understand what he was saying.

Shadow nodded. "The truck is outside with everything in it. The guys have your payment ready once we make the delivery."

Jerry laughed in excitement. "I knew I could count on you, Drake!" Jerry lit a cigar before gathering his things. "Come on, boys. Let's make this happen." Jerry and his men walked past Shadow and out of the hideout.

Shadow waited for a while before following behind. He sent a quick signal to Rouge from his collar and then proceeded on. 'I'll be home soon, Misuki. Wait a little longer.'

"What the hell is going on!?" Jerry exclaimed after being surrounded by G.U.N. soldiers that had jumped out of the back of the van. "Drake, we've been found out!"

Shadow pointed his gun at Jerry and grinned. "Sorry Jerry. The only one who has been found out is you."

"You mean…"

"My real name is Shadow." He showed his G.U.N. badge. "We've been monitoring your group meetings and waited for the right time to catch you in the act."

Jerry pointed his gun at Shadow with furious anger. "You damned bastard!" He pulled the trigger, but got knocked out before the gun went off.

"I could've handled that myself, Rouge." Shadow said as he put his gun back in his holder.

"Your welcome." She responded sarcastically. "This mission is finally over. You need to get back home before everyone leaves without you."

"Are you sure you can handle this without me?" he asked.

Rouge handcuffed Jerry and pushed him with the others. "Don't worry. These guys won't be causing any more trouble. Get going."

"Thanks Rouge. I'll see you later." Shadow ran past the scene and towards home.

"Shadow, hang on!" Rouge yelled at him. "You forgot this!"

He turned around to see a little box flying towards him. He caught it and examined it, realizing it was the gift he was going to give to Misuki.

"It finished just in time."

"I owe you big time." He told her.

"Don't worry about it. Give Misuki my best!" She waved at him as he continued on.

Shadow went ahead and called Misuki. "Misuki, are you there?"

"Shadow, I'm so glad to see you!" Misuki came up on the screen with a smile on her face. "Where are you?"

"I'm about twenty minutes away. I'll try to get there as soon as I can."

"Knuckles is almost here and everything is packed and ready to go. I can't wait to see you. You're okay aren't you? No wounds from your mission?"

"I'm fine, Misuki. I don't have a scratch on me."

"I'll believe that when you get here. I'll convince everyone to wait for you."

"See you in a bit."

"I love you, Shadow."

"Love you too."

The two hung up at the same time, Shadow stared at her smile until the communicator disconnected the call.

**Misuki: **"Was that Shadow?" Espio asked.

"Yeah, he just got finished with his mission and is on his way here. We'll have to wait a little bit."

"I'll go get Charmy from the backyard."

"Is he setting his action figures on fire again?" Misuki asked with an exhausted tone.

"No, last time Vector checked on him he was attaching them to a rocket and launching them in the air, watching them explode."

"Seriously, we've spent half a fortune on those action figures and he just melts them."

Espio chuckled in agreement. "He also has a kit that lets him make his own action figures. He collects the parts and rebuilds his own."

"He's become quite the rebel. Maybe he could one day help Tails with the engine of the ship."

"That would be a good thing." Espio went towards the backyard while Misuki checked on Tails, who was in his room tinkering with something.

The door was cracked, but Misuki knocked anyway just to be polite. "Tails, can I enter?"

"Oh yeah. I was hoping you'd come by, Misuki."

"Oh really?" Misuki stood behind him, looking over his shoulder. "Why's that?"

"I wanted to give you this." Tails picked up the object he was working on. "I think you'll like this." He lifted his hand and waved it, letting the disk drop to the ground. When it did, it turned into a purple hover board that made Misuki's eyes widen. "What do you think?"

It took Misuki a while to answer as he continued staring at the board. "Tails, this is amazing! Is this for me?"

"Yep. It's powered by air so it's easy to balance on. I thought you'd like to use this next time we fight Eggman."

Misuki jumped on the board and got the feel of it. "I love it, Tails. You're the best!"

"Don't mention it."

"Misuki, Knuckles is here with the RV." Amy came to the door.

"Oh okay. We'll be down there in a bit." She jumped off of the board, tapping the back of it and made it turn back into a disk. She tucked it into her back pocket and walked into the living room with Tails. Knuckles and the others were packing up the RV with their things. "Hey Knuckles, we need to wait for Shadow."

"Is he still on his mission?" he asked as he picked up his gym bag full of clothes and shoes.

"He just finished and is on his way. He'll be here in a few minutes."

"That's fine. Let's finish packing up the RV so we can just head out when he gets here."

"Okay, luckily he packed his things before he left. Can you give me a hand with it when you're done?"

"Yeah, let me pack this up and I'll come back and help you."

Misuki followed Knuckles with some of her things and stored it in a spare bin within the van and then went back inside the house to gather Shadow's things. She got one bag while Knuckles got another one. "Be extra careful with that bag." Misuki warned Knuckles. "That has extra ammo in there, along with some gun parts for maintenance."

"Why did he pack gun parts and ammo?" Knuckles asked.

"You know how he is. He's always ready for a surprise and wants to keep his gun up to date." She chuckled a little while loading everything into the van. "Set his stuff next to mine." Her communicator went off just as she set the bags in the compartment. "It's Shadow." She answered it immediately. "Hey Shadow, how far are you?"

"I'm about five minutes away." He answered.

"You should hurry up. We're packing up the RV. We're almost finished."

"Did you pack up my things?" he asked her.

Misuki nodded her head. "Knuckles is loading the last of it. Don't worry, we're all waiting for you. Once you get here, we'll take off."

"Thanks Misuki. I'm going as fast as I can."

"You'd better move your ass." Misuki joked. "You don't want me to spend our anniversary alone, do you?"

Shadow let out a small chuckle at her joke. "Just give me a few minutes and I'll be right there."

"Okay, see you in a bit." She hung up on him and went to check everything. That's when she remembered Espio went to check on Charmy in the backyard and didn't come back. Misuki went out there to see what they were doing. She saw Charmy chasing Espio with fire crackers, throwing them at his feet. Misuki was shocked at the scene she was witnessing. "What the hell is going on here!?" She yelled as loud as she could to get them to stop.

Charmy stopped throwing fire crackers and looked at Misuki. "Big sister Misuki!" He ran towards Misuki and hugged her. "Me and Espio were just playing."

"That's not true!" Espio exclaimed while gasping for breath. "I told him to get ready for the trip and he just started chasing me with homemade fire crackers."

"He took my action figures and wouldn't give them back! Then he broke the arm off of one of them."

"Only because you knocked me on the ground to get it back. You jumped on me and then I accidentally squeezed it and broke it."

"Okay you two, break it up." Misuki told them. "Espio, the RV is here. Pack up your things. Shadow is very close. I'll deal with Charmy."

Espio nodded and walked back in the house, shutting the back door behind him.

Misuki knelt down to Charmy's height and took the fireworks from his hands. "Charmy, we've told you many times not to throw your fireworks at people."

"I know. But he broke one of my favorite action figures." He showed her the army figure and the disembodied arm that Espio broke off. "I worked really hard on this one."

"I know you did, and it's a really cool figure." She sympathized with Charmy. "But Espio came out here to get you ready for our trip. Are all of your things packed?"

Charmy nodded.

"You're sure you have everything you want to take with you? Action figures, pyro equipment, and other things you can play with when we get there?"

"Yep, I packed everything last night and some of my action figures and comics this morning. I was playing out here to pass the time."

"That's fine. But right now I want you to clean up your toys out here, pack it up if you want to and go wait for Shadow with everyone else."

"Okay, big sis!" Charmy ran and gathered all of his action figures, threw away used fire crackers and then headed back in the house to store the figures he wasn't taking before going in the front with the others and jumping into the RV.

Misuki stood with everyone else, looking down the street waiting to see Shadow.

"What's taking him so long?" Amy asked impatiently.

"He'll get here." Sonic assured her. "But honestly if it was me, I would've been here by now."

Misuki punched Sonic in the arm. "Shadow is just as fast as you, Sonic."

"Hey there he is!" Vector exclaimed.

Misuki ran next to him, seeing Shadow skating down the street and skidding to a stop in front of the house. "Shadow, you made it!" Misuki ran towards Shadow and hugged him.

Shadow hugged her back, squeezing her tightly. "I missed you, Misuki."

"Me too. I'm glad you're okay."

"Okay, now that we're all here…" Knuckles announced. "…let's get on the road before traffic picks up."

Everyone got into the RV and settled in as Knuckles started the RV and drove out of the neighborhood and onto the road. Shadow and Misuki sat at one of the small tables, cuddled together and stared out the window thinking about their anniversary plans.


	3. To the Camp

**Chapter Two: To the Camp**

**Misuki: **"Are you sure you're not hiding any wounds, Shadow?" Misuki patted him on the chest and arms to feel for any lacerations he was trying to conceal. "You know I've been worried about you since you joined G.U.N."

Shadow chuckled while grabbing her hand and twining his fingers with hers. He got close to her and smiled, touching his forehead to hers. "There's nothing for you to worry about." He said softly. "I'm perfectly fine, Misuki. Thinking about you makes me more cautious when I'm out on missions." He ended up pressing his lips against Misuki's, making her blush and let out a soft moan. "Did I trigger something?" he chuckled.

Misuki couldn't help but laugh at Shadow's comment. "It's just nice to finally have you all to myself." She told him, cuddling against him. "It feels like old times."

"It'll feel more like old times once we sit in that grass."

"Hey Shadow, you wanna see a cool fighting trick Espio showed me?" Charmy asked, running up to Shadow and Misuki.

"Charmy it's too cramped for you to do any tricks." Shadow told him. "Wait until we get to the park."

"Aww come on!" he begged, tugging on Shadow's pant leg. "I promise I won't hurt myself. Pleaasse! I really wanna show you!"

Misuki couldn't help but giggle at Charmy's plea and the exhausted look Shadow was getting.

Shadow turned away from Misuki to pull Charmy off of him and have a short chat with him. "Listen Charmy. This isn't like a house." He explained. "Even though we're spread out, if you try to do something dangerous and stupid, you will get hurt. If you get hurt, then you can't have the full experience of our vacation."

He watched Charmy process Shadow's words. "Also, this weekend is a time for Misuki and me to spend some time together since I've been away for a long time. Once we get to the park, we will watch you perform this trick of yours. Can you wait till then?"

"Okay fine." Charmy didn't sound happy about waiting.

"Hey Charmy, maybe you can fix up that soldier of yours." Misuki suggested, leaning against Shadow's back and looking over his shoulder. "The road is smooth enough for you to work."

"That's a great idea! Thanks Misuki!" Charmy ran into the small bedroom to get his kit and work on his action figures.

When he was gone, Shadow went back to holding Misuki.

"You handled that well." Misuki said with a smile. "He's like a little brother, isn't he?"

"It feels like that, yes."

"He calls me big sister Misuki or just big sis. At one point, when he asked when you were coming back, he referred to you as big brother Shadow." She giggled again. "You've really become part of the family."

"It's thanks to you."

"Don't forget us, Shadow." Sonic said from the passenger seat. "Part of Misuki's strength came from us supporting her and comforting her."

"You're right, Sonic. Thank you all." Shadow let out a small yawn after he said that.

"Maybe you should get some sleep, Shadow." Misuki suggested, stroking his face. "I imagine you haven't been able to get a lot of sleep during your mission. Go in the bedroom and rest for a while."

"Maybe I should." He placed his hand on top of hers and kissed it before standing up. He took off his trench coat and left it with Misuki, handing it to her. "Wake me up when we're close to the spot."

"I will." Misuki told him. "Get some rest. You probably deserve it." She watched him walk into the back and shut the door behind him. In the back of her mind, Misuki was concerned about whether or not Shadow noticed her own exhaustion. 'If I tell him the truth…he won't be happy with me.' She decided to lean against the window and close her eyes for a while.

**An Hour and a Half later**

Misuki slowly began waking up, rubbing her eyes and looking out the window seeing nothing but trees and grassland.

"Hey there, sleepy head." Knuckles greeted her. "You were gone."

She let out a yawn and a slight chuckle at the same time. "Who did you get to switch with you?"

"Vector." He pulled out a can of coffee and set it in front of her. "We stopped at a gas station and picked this up for you. There are more if you want some."

Misuki opened it and took a few sips before fixing her hair. "Thanks, Knuckles. So, we're almost there?"

"Just about." He answered her. "We're twenty minutes away."

"Is Shadow still sleeping?"

"Almost as hard as you were." He said to her. "Were you going to wake him up now or let him sleep a little longer?"

Misuki took another drink of her coffee. "I'll let him sleep longer."

"You know he's bound to find out about your sleep anxiety."

"Knuckles is right, Misuki." Sonic joined the conversation. "You really need to get better sleep at night."

"Can we please keep it down so he doesn't hear us talk about this?" Misuki said, looking past Sonic and Knuckles at the bedroom in the back of the RV. "I know Shadow would not be happy that I stay up worrying about him…" she began, speaking softly when clenching her chest to stop her heart from racing. "…but you can't honestly say that if either of you were in my position; felt what I felt when he first stayed with us and was motionless, you wouldn't stay up almost every night wondering if he would come back alive or not." She glanced at the two of them, seeing the same sympathetic look on their faces as they looked at each other and then back to her. "The two of you should understand my pain above everyone else."

Sonic let out a sigh as he scratched the top of his head and put on a small smile.

"Please…" Misuki took both Sonic's and Knuckles' hand in each of hers and stared deeply into their eyes. "…don't let Shadow find out about this."

They looked at each other one last time. "We promise, Misuki. He won't find out." Knuckles said.

"Sis! Sis, check it out!" Charmy ran over to Misuki with an action figure in his hand. It was the one Espio broke accidentally. "I was able to put the arm back on him!"

Misuki took the figure in her hand and looked at it. "That's great, Charmy."

"Also look!" He showed her an unfinished model he had been working on during the long trip. "I'm working on a figure of one of my favorite comic book heroes!"

"It looks good so far." She said, handing Charmy back his fixed action figure. "Keep up the good work, big man."

Charmy went back to pack his figures up and then read one of his comics he brought with him.

"Sonic, did you buy any more candy?" Amy asked, leaning against him with pleading eyes. "Cream and I want some more."

Sonic chuckled as he reached into the bag and handed Amy two chocolate bars. "Just for you, babe." As he gave her the bars, Sonic leaned in and kissed her cheek.

Misuki couldn't help but smile and laugh to herself as she watched Amy's face flush. She gripped the bars and hugged Sonic before going back to Cream. "I know I've said this so many times, but I can't help it. You two are so freaking adorable together!"

Sonic chuckled nervously, scratching his head. "Yeah I guess we are." He said through a laugh. "Shopping with her though is exhausting. She tries on everything she can find and usually ends up not buying any of it. Other times she'll…"

"She'll come out of the store with at least three outfits and several accessories." Misuki finished. "I know exactly what you're talking about. Remember that me and Cream went with Amy to shop for bathing suits. I swear the only things she didn't try on were the hangers themselves." She let out another giggle, along with Knuckles and Sonic.

"Heads up everyone!" Vector announced. "We're coming up to the location."

The road began to end and soon they were driving on nothing but dirt and grass. Misuki took that opportunity to wake up Shadow from the back room. When she entered the room, Misuki couldn't help but stare at Shadow's sleeping face for a short while. The memories of him lying in a hospital bed barely conscious flashed through her mind. It didn't mentally sting her like it normally would. It just reminded her of all they've been through that led them to this moment and of the warmth and happiness they found over the course of time. Misuki leaned down closer to him and nudged his shoulder several times. "Hey Shadow. Wake up." She whispered in his ear, continuing to shake him. "Shadow…Shadow, can you hear me?"

He groaned and opened his eyes slightly to see Misuki standing over him. "Misuki, are we there yet?" He stretched before sitting up in the bed.

Misuki nodded her head. "Yep. We're off the road and headed towards the spot." She sat on the edge of the bed, fixing Shadow's bangs and hair since it got a little messed up while he was sleeping. "Did you get enough sleep?" she asked him.

"More than I needed honestly. I'm officially well rested for this trip."

"Oh I almost forgot." Misuki quickly went back out with the others and grabbed another can of coffee and brought it back to Shadow. "We stopped at a gas station and Knuckles decided to grab some iced coffee." She handed the can to him after opening it. "This will wake you up even more."

"Thanks, Misuki." He took the can from her and drank it down. "What flavor is this?" he asked, examining the can.

"That one's caramel mocha. I had a vanilla frap not too long ago. Do you not like it?" she asked him. "There are other flavors and I can take that one."

"No this is fine." Shadow insisted. "I only asked because I really liked the taste of it." He took several sips before a knock came to the door. "Come in." Shadow greeted.

Amy stuck her head through the door. "Hey guys, we're here! Come and see!"

The two of them followed her out of the RV, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. Misuki enjoyed the crisp spring air on her face and through her hair. "It doesn't look like this place has changed a bit." Misuki said. "The first time I came here I was only a month old. My mom and dad took me here for a family trip. The very last time I came here was with my dad when I was two." She stared out at the scenery, feeling the wind slowly fade away. "He promised that he'd bring me back whenever he had free time. Too bad it never happened." Misuki gave a small smile, feeling the warm embrace of her mother and father.

After a few minutes, Misuki took a breath and then helped set up camp. She and Shadow set up the umbrellas and table for outdoor meals and just hanging out. A lot of the gang began to get hungry after setting everything up, so Misuki and Espio went inside and whipped up some rice and vegetables. "Is the rice almost ready, Espio?"

"Just about." He answered. "I'm just applying the correct spice. How are the vegetables coming along?"

"They need to simmer a little longer. Cover the rice and turn the heat down. Check back on it in five minutes. The veggies should be ready by then."

**Shadow: **"Sonic, where are the forks and cups?" Shadow asked, while setting a few plates on the table.

"Got them right here." He brought them over and set a fork and a cup next to each plate. The table was only big enough for six people. "Where are the others going to eat?"

"We're setting up a blanket over here." Amy said, patting out the wrinkles. "Some people can eat here."

"Nice job, Amy." Sonic praised, finishing up his part of the work. "So Shadow, what are your plans for yours and Misuki's anniversary tomorrow?"

Shadow sat down at the table, facing away from the table and towards Sonic. "Misuki said that there's a lake somewhere around here. Tomorrow, I'm going to take her to a place not too far from here and have a romantic dinner with her. I'm gonna set everything up later tonight after she goes to sleep. Then tomorrow night, she and I will sleep near the lake, under the stars."

"Look at you, Romeo." Sonic teased. "You're pulling out all the stocks for this year."

"Shut it." Shadow came back in a defensive voice. "I just want her to have a good time."

"I know, I know." Sonic sat next to Shadow and put his arm around his shoulder. "No matter what the two of you do, she's gonna have a great time because she'll be spending a lot of time with you."

Shadow visualized the entire day of tomorrow, seeing Misuki's surprised expression as she saw the breakfast set out for her. Then the brightness of her face as they just ran around doing fun activities together until nighttime came and the two shared a passionate kiss as they looked up into the stars. That's when he got an idea and went to talk to Charmy. "Charmy, mind if we talk for a sec?"

"Sure bro! Whatdya need?"

**Misuki: **Misuki took a small saucer and poured some of the veggie juice into it and sampled it. Then she took out a small potato chunk and ate it to see how tender it was. She approved of it and simmered the heat on the stove. "Alright Espio, lunch is just about ready. Ready to serve?"

Espio took the pot of rice in his hands and followed Misuki out of the RV.

"Here you go guys! Lunch is ready!" She and Espio set the pots in the center of the table and served the food onto the plates.

"Oh I'm starving! This will definitely hit the spot!" Amy sat down next to Sonic, taking in the smell of the food while waiting for everyone to get their serving. Vector and Tails sat with Cheese, Charmy and Cream while everyone else sat at the table. "This is really good, you guys!" Amy said.

"It tastes even better when we're all eating outside like this." Misuki added.

"Hey if there's a lake here, maybe once before we leave we can all go swimming." Amy suggested after taking a drink of her soda. "Who's up for it?"

"That sounds like fun!" Cream said.

"Yeah I'm in!" Charmy agreed excitedly. "I can show everyone how long I can hold my breath!"

"How long can you hold your breath, Charmy?" Cream asked him.

Charmy chuckled confidently. "Five minutes."

"That's amazing!" Cream exclaimed. "Can you teach me to hold my breath that long under water?"

"I guess I could." Charmy said to her. "But you'd have to do whatever I say and master all of my techniques and skills."

"I promise I'll follow all of your teachings."

Misuki and the others laughed as they watched Charmy and Cream talk. "Looking at those two makes me want to be that young again and look at the world through pure eyes."

"Minus the heartache and pain?" Shadow asked her.

She leaned against him for a short time. "Yeah." She let out a sigh before picking her head back up and continued eating her food. "But if I had a normal life then I never would have met any of you. My life would have been empty and boring. One door closes; two doors open."

"That's a clever way of putting it." Knuckles told her.

Misuki giggles while finishing off her drink and serving herself a second helping of food.


	4. The Perfect Day

**Chapter Three: The Perfect Day**

**Misuki: **It was late in the afternoon and everyone was chilled and mellow after lunch. Misuki was sparring with Knuckles for a while. She charged him and tried to punch him in the face, but he dodged and countered with a palm strike to the stomach. Misuki pushed his hand away, blocking every other attack that followed.

"You've gotten better, Misuki." He complimented while pausing the fight.

Misuki chuckled while taking a deep breath. "It's all because of the intense training I've been doing. I also have some tricks up my sleeve." Misuki ran towards Knuckles, attempting to punch him again. Knuckles blocked that one, but Misuki twisted her body on the path of his arm and leapt into the air, stomping on the top of Knuckles' head and landing back on the ground with ease. "That was one of my tricks." She looked back at Knuckles who sat up on the ground and rubbing the top of his head to ease the pain. She giggled as she walked over to him to check on him. "Did I overdo it?"

"Don't worry about it." He said, taking a sharp breath through his teeth. "I'm used to taking hard blows to the head. But seriously, that technique is amazing."

Misuki extended a hand to Knuckles, helping him off of the ground. "It's a defensive move I came up with while training in the backyard. The thought came to me when I saw a squirrel run up a tree. It sounds weird, but it's true."

"It's still a really good move."

The two of them walked to the ice box and got some water. "I know we're on vacation, but I wanted to train and keep myself in shape."

"Yeah I get it." Knuckles took a sip of his water while looking at everyone doing their own thing.

Misuki saw Shadow lying in the grass with his eyes closed. She walked over to him without saying a word to Knuckles. Before she got too far, Misuki grabbed a soda for Shadow and approached him. She stared at his sleeping face, blocking the sun. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and saw her gazing at him. She smiled at him. "Hey there, enjoying the breeze out here?"

He sat up and stretched while Misuki sat down beside him. "It's been so long since I got to stop and look at the sky. We've done so much moving around that I never noticed how blue it is and how white and fluffy the clouds are. It looks like the ocean."

Misuki looked up at the sky and watched the drifting clouds. "Yeah…it does look like an ocean." She sniffed the crisp air and closed her eyes for a short while. "You know what this reminds me of?"

Shadow looked at her as she opened her eyes again and smiled.

She paused for a short while. "The artificial garden my dad made for me. The air smelled just like this. The only difference is…this grass is greener. And there aren't a lot of flowers." She handed Shadow his soda and then took a seat next to him. After she sat down, she took a sip of her water and then looked back up at the sky. "You have a vacant look on your face? Penny for your thoughts?"

Shadow chuckles while opening his soda and taking a large gulp of it. "Just thinking that everything is too peaceful."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well…I'm not trying to jinx everything. But it's just suspicious that Eggman has been quiet for the past week. The last time we fought him was a month ago. What if he's planning something big?"

Misuki tapped Shadow on his head twice. "You keep thinking that, you'll ruin our trip." She teased.

"You can't tell me you haven't thought about that."

She let out a sigh and looked up at the sky. "Well, at first I thought about it." She took another drink of her water. "But when nothing happened, I put it out of my mind and then forgot about it over time." She smiled at Shadow before stretching and standing up. "Hey, who wants to play a little soccer!?" She shouted out to everyone.

"That sounds like fun!" Charmy exclaimed.

"There's a ball in the RV. Can you go get it?"

"Yay! Soccer!" Charmy ran into the RV to grab the ball. He kicked it out of the vehicle and chased after it. "Heads up, sis!"

He kicked it towards Misuki who used her body to stop the ball. She let it fall to her feet so she could hold it in place with her foot. "Wanna join in, Shadow? I can teach you to the basics."

"That's okay." Shadow declined. "I'll sit this out and just watch."

Misuki stared at him for a while, seeing a strange look on his face. She just smiled at him and nodded. "Suit yourself. But next time you're playing."

He nodded his head. "I promise."

She ran over towards the people who wanted to play and divided into teams of three.

**Shadow: **Vector was the goalie for Misuki's and Espio's team while Charmy was the goalie for Sonic's and Knuckles' team. Shadow found it amusing to watch Misuki get passed Sonic, even when he lowered his speed to make it fair for her and the others. Misuki almost got a goal, but Knuckles stole the ball and headed in the other direction, laughing at her and playfully mocking her. Shadow actually found himself sitting on the edge of his seat, anxious to see if Misuki could stand a chance against Sonic and Knuckles.

"Mind if I sit and watch with you?" Tails asked, walking up to Shadow.

"Help yourself."

Tails took a seat and watched the game go on. "Why didn't you want to play?" He asked him. "You and Misuki would have wiped the floor with Sonic and Knuckles."

Shadow let out a small chuckle. "I'm used to just watching. This actually brings back a few memories for me."

"What kind of memories? Did you and Misuki play soccer once before?"

"Not back then. This was when she was still afraid of me. I would sit and watch her play with her toys or some of her friends from school. As time passed…watching her smile and play became the very first thing that made me happy."

"Really?"

Shadow nodded his head as he took a sip of his soda. "Right now, I can actually see her as a small child again. Laughing and playing…without a care in the world."

"She never asked you to play with her when she was playing by herself?"

"Only once." Shadow admitted. "If I remember correctly, she was playing house, pretending she was a busy mom who had to go into work. She looked at me and handed me two of her dolls that were her kids. She said I was the babysitter and that she'd be back later and then left talking on her play-phone. I honestly couldn't help but laugh at my position. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw me holding a little girl's dolls. I looked ridiculous."

"I'm sure Misuki didn't think so."

"Misuki didn't care. I was more concerned about her father." Re-living that moment made Shadow break out into laughter. "The look on his face when he saw me with the dolls was hilarious."

Tails laughed along with Shadow, then turned his attention back to the soccer game where Sonic just scored a point on Misuki and Espio.

"Don't let him get too cocky, Misuki! Knock him down a peg!" Shadow drank some more pop after cheering her on. His heart warmed up when he saw her look his way and wink before getting back in the game. "Yep, this definitely feels like old times."

Nighttime finally came and Shadow set out his and Misuki's sleeping bag outside with everyone else.

"I could've set up my own bag, Shadow." Misuki told him, holding a sleeping Cheese in her arms. She was gently rocking him to keep him asleep.

"You're holding Cheese." He said to her. "Don't worry about it. Everything's all set."

When he was finished, he gestured her to sit on her bag with Cheese while he sat beside her, stroking Cheese's head as he slept. "Are you excited about tomorrow?"

"Of course I am." She answered. "It'll be our anniversary and we'll get to spend the whole day together." Misuki yawned while rubbing Cheese's stomach.

Shadow moved Misuki's bangs to see the tired look on her face. "You should put him in his bed so you can get some sleep yourself."

"I guess you're right. I'll tuck him in and then put on my pajamas." Misuki stood up and walked into the RV where Cream and Amy were already asleep in the bed.

While she was gone, Shadow walked over to Charmy to talk to him. When he got to him, Charmy was reading his comic book with a flashlight. "Hey Charmy, I need to talk to you."

"What is it, big brother?" Charmy looked up from his comic.

"Do you have everything we talked about? You know…the fireworks?" he made sure to whisper really softly since they were still very close to the RV. Shadow placed a hand on Charmy's shoulder and stared at him. "I'm really counting on you, little man. This has to go down perfectly."

Charmy chuckles sinisterly. "Don't worry, Shadow. I have everything in my bag. Just leave everything to me. Your night with her will be a night she'll never forget."

"You have to pick a spot a little bit away from us so she won't know where they're coming from."

"I already have that covered. All I have to do is follow you as the night goes on. Once you pick your spot, I'll pick a spot a few feet from you."

Shadow rustled his hair playfully. "Thanks little dude." He looked to see Misuki emerge from the RV in a tank top and baggy pajama bottoms. "I'll see you tomorrow night." He walked back over to Misuki and sat with her. "You look comfy."

She giggled as she rested in Shadow's lap. "I am very comfy. Especially when I'm resting my head on your chest." Misuki stroked Shadow's bear arms while snuggling him. "Why aren't you in your pajamas?"

"I will be. I have some things to take care of before I go to sleep. But you should get some sleep yourself."

Misuki let out another yawn, this time producing tears. "I guess you're right."

Shadow stood up so Misuki could get under her sleeping bag and rest her head on her pillow. After she was tucked in, Shadow got down on one knee and stoked her face before kissing her. "I'll join you in a little bit. Get some sleep."

She nodded before closing her eyes and immediately drifted off to sleep.

Shadow stared at her for a short while before going over to talk to Sonic.

"Did Misuki just go to sleep?" Sonic asked him.

"Yeah, knocked herself right out." He looked back at her, watching her turn her back to him. "So, are you ready to help me set everything up?"

"I'll do whatever I can, pal. Let's get to work." Sonic grabbed a picnic blanket, plates and forks while Shadow got a vase, cups and some napkins and rushed them over to a spot near the lake. It didn't take either of them very long to set everything up. The last thing Shadow did was fill the vase with water and pick some flowers to place in them. He then set the vase in the center of everything.

Shadow stepped back with Sonic and looked at everything. "Looks like everything's set up. All that's left is to cook the breakfast and bring it to this spot early in the morning."

"Will you be okay in waking yourself up before her?"

"Yeah. I can do everything else on my own. Thanks for your help."

Sonic playfully punched Shadow's shoulder and grinned. "Anytime, Shadow."

The two headed back to the camp site where Sonic went to check on Amy before he went to sleep. Shadow on the other hand laid down with Misuki, looking up at the stars. Up in the sky he saw a shooting star fly above him, followed by another on that was on its tail. 'I've come a long way, Dr. Hikotsu.' He began speaking to Misuki's father in his mind. He didn't know why he started doing it, he just started. 'Misuki has been happier these last few months. But I still feel like a stranger around everyone except her. I've been with them for over two years, and I've felt myself changing and lighting up, developing more emotions to the group. Yet…I can't find my place other than beside your daughter. How can I open up more? Please tell me.'

_Just be yourself. _An image of Dr. Hikotsu appeared in the sky, his hands in his lab coat pockets.

_ He's right, Shadow. _Maria appeared next to him with her warm smile she always wore. _They've all accepted you as part of the family. The only one who hasn't is you. _

Shadow looked down at Misuki who snuggled closer to him.

_Misuki is the only one you're letting into your mind. _Dr. Hikotsu told him. _I understand you're making up the time you lost when you were separated. But you need to understand that everyone cares for you. _

_ You need to open up more to them. _Maria stepped in. _I can tell that you have changed a lot, Shadow. I believe you can go beyond your limits. We both believe you can._

Shadow watched the two of them slowly fade back into stars that spread out. He sighed while continuing to stare up at the sky while holding Misuki closely to him. She flinched a little bit, causing him to pull her closer to him and kiss her forehead.

**Misuki: **The light of the morning sun slipped into Misuki's eyes, waking her up from her peaceful slumber. She yawned and stretched as she sat up from her sleeping bag. When she was half awake, she realized that Shadow wasn't beside her. She looked around to see Espio doing some morning exercises and stretches. "Hey Espio, have you seen Shadow?"

"Not since last night." He answered.

"He's working on a surprise for you." Sonic told her as he came out of the RV.

Misuki unzipped her bag and stood up to stretch her legs. "A surprise?" Her voice had some shock in it.

"It is your anniversary after all. He wants every moment to be perfect." As he said that, the two of them turned around to the sound of a motorcycle coming up to the site. "Speak of the devil."

Shadow stopped the bike and went over to Misuki with a smile on his face. He took her in his arms and kissed her. "Happy anniversary." He told her.

Misuki giggled, excited that their special day had finally arrived. "Happy anniversary, Shadow. I heard you have a surprise for me. Should I go get dressed?"

"Yeah, make sure you hurry." He said.

"I'll be back in a few minutes!" With excitement in her voice, Misuki ran into the RV and got ready for the start of her anniversary. She took longer working on her hair and face than getting dressed. In total, it took her at least fifteen minutes to get ready and then ran back out to Shadow.

"It's about time." Shadow chuckled.

"Sorry I took so long." She said with a blushed face. "I wanted to look extra good today."

Shadow lifted her chin and gave her a warming smile. "You look very cute today. Even more than any other day."

Her face flushed a deeper red as he kissed her on the cheek before starting up the bike again and then helping Misuki on the back of it. The two of them said their good-byes to the others.

"Have fun you two!" Amy exclaimed.

"Not too much fun, if you know what I mean, Shadow." Knuckles teased while wearing a slightly serious expression.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "We'll be back sometime in the morning." With that, he and Misuki took off.

Misuki held onto Shadow tightly as the wind brushed through them. She savored the feeling of adrenaline that made her heart pound through her chest. That was mixed with excitement of this surprise. They rode for about twenty-two minutes before he stopped a few feet from the lake. Misuki looked around as she jumped off of the bike in confusion. "Where's the surprise, Shadow?" As she finished asking her question, her vision was blocked by his hands. "What's going on?"

"It's not a surprise if you see it before you're supposed to." He said.

She felt him slowly guide her forward, pushing her body a little bit every two steps. "Are we there yet?"

"Just a few more steps." He told her. "You'll love this. I promise."

They walked several more steps before Shadow made Misuki stop abruptly. "Okay, we're here." He removed his hands from in front of her eyes and let her see the surprise.

The first sound Misuki let escape her lips was an elongated gasp as she stared at a perfect outdoor breakfast for two. Both plates were decorated with French toast topped with strawberries and syrup. Next to that was a side of eggs. In the center stood a small vase with pink and yellow flowers inside of it. Next to that was a tall serving glass of orange juice. The whole scene was set up a good distance from the lake. Misuki became more mesmerized by everything as she got closer to it. Staring at the breakfast made her hungry and caused her eyes to lighten up. "Shadow…all of this is…wow."

Shadow sat her down and then walked in front of his plate and sat down, staring at her shocked face. "Try the French toast. Tell me what you think."

Misuki cut a small piece of one of the French toasts and sampled it, letting the flavor set in her mouth. "Oh my god, this is amazing!" Her mouth was still full of food as she spoke. "Did you make this?"

"Guilty as charged." Shadow answered. "I woke up very early, cooked it in the RV and got it all down here while it was still hot." He poured orange juice in Misuki's glass and handed it to her. "This is one of my anniversary gifts to you: a romantic breakfast for two."

Misuki drank some of her orange juice and kept her surprised expression during breakfast. "This is so romantic, Shadow. I can't believe you did all of this."

"To be honest, Sonic helped me set the site up. The food was all me." He ate some of his breakfast. "I'm glad you're enjoying all of this."

"Who wouldn't enjoy this?" Misuki stuffed her mouth with eggs and French toast. She chewed it and swallowed before she continued speaking. "I seriously didn't expect you to go all out like this for me. This so beats out last year."

"So, what do you want to do after this?" Shadow asked her. "Whatever you want to do, we'll do. Then we'll come back here tonight and spend the night by the lake. What do you say?"

"That sounds like fun!" she exclaimed. "Let's finish breakfast and then I'll let you know what I want to do."

Author's Note: I wanted to let everyone know that in this story, Shadow is more light and cheerful than normal. Like I explained in the prologue, he has and is still going through character development like the others ^_^

Please R&R

Next chapter may not be up until the second week of March, which is when I will be out of school for spring break ^^ I will also be celebrating my birthday! The chapter will be up either the day before or after my birthday. I will try to have it up before ^^ Until then…stay tuned!


	5. Future Up-Comings

**Chapter Four: Future Up-Comings**

**Misuki: **"Hey, there are a couple of shops not too far from here." Misuki said after finishing her breakfast. "They have some really awesome stuff. Can we go hang out there for a while?"

"That's fine by me." He said to her. "I'll let Sonic know we're done with breakfast. He'll bring this stuff back to the camp." Misuki watched him make a quick call to Sonic.

As he did that, Misuki walked up to the lake and stared deep into the water, hoping to see a couple of fish swimming around. She saw about three fish come to the surface at different times. Misuki couldn't help but smile at the sight of them, wishing she had some bread or crackers to feed them. She felt Shadow walk up behind her, causing her to turn around and stand up straight. "Is everything set?" She asked him.

Shadow nodded at her. "He'll come by in a little bit to clean up." The two headed over to the bike, where they boarded it and proceeded towards the shops.

Misuki once again found herself clinging onto Shadow as he drove faster and faster through the grass. Halfway to the shops, Misuki noticed Shadow tense up slightly. 'I wonder what's on his mind.' She cuddled her body closer to his to get him to loosen up. He did eventually, but not as much as she wanted.

They finally arrived at a small shopping plaza, where there were several people walking around. Shadow parked the bike in a parking lot and then got off and stared at the shops that were lined up. "Ready to go?"

Misuki hesitated for a moment, standing next to the bike and staring at Shadow.

When he noticed her staring at him, Shadow walked over to her and placed a hand on her cheek. "Misuki, is everything okay?"

"Shadow, are you worried about something?" She asked him straight up, looking into his eyes. She placed her hand over his and lowered it from her face. "During the ride over here…I noticed you tensed up a little. Normally you don't tense up unless you're concerned about something."

It took him a while to respond to her comment.

She looked down at his hand. "You're tensed up now." She told him, making him look at his hand resting in hers.

"I guess I can't hide it from you." He spoke, taking his hand back. "Last night, while I was sleeping…I got a strange feeling that something was going to happen."

"What kind of something?"

He let out a sigh. "I honestly don't know. I can't really put it into words. But…this feeling has made me observe my surroundings more closely than usual."

"Shadow, everything's okay now." Misuki took both of his hands into hers and held them tightly. "Eggman's nowhere to be found, the Chaos Emeralds we've re-gathered are safe and you and I are an unstoppable team with great friends to guide us." She smiled at him. "You're probably feeling these emotions because you actually miss fighting Eggman and his stupid robots." She let out a soft chuckle. "I sometimes miss fighting them too, believe it or not. You have to move on and accept that we deserve some peace every once in a while."

Shadow chuckled along with her. "I guess you're right." He said. "I've got to get Eggman out of my mind."

Misuki leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "Does that help?" she giggled.

"It does. Thanks."

"My pleasure. Now, let's start our anniversary adventure before the day passes on without us." She pulled him into the plaza, looking at the displays in the window. There were so many things that called for Misuki to buy them, but she didn't know which ones she really wanted. They wandered around the shops for a few minutes, deciding which store they should go to first. Misuki found a store that was having a sale on whole outfit choices. She took Shadow in and tried on a couple of outfit samples. "Damn, I just can't decide which outfit I like." She looked over all of the clothes she tried on. "Which one did you like the best, Shadow?"

"I thought they all looked good on you." He admitted.

"Come on, there has to be one I looked super good in. I only want one outfit!"

Shadow chuckled. "Okay, since it's been a long time since I've seen you in a dress or skirt, I have to say that my favorite outfit is this one." He held up a blue-green dress that went to the knees and had a matching emerald chain belt. "I think it really brings out your eyes."

Misuki examined it, remembering how embarrassed she was to walk out wearing it. "It's very rare for me to actually like dresses, but I guess it is one of the top choices. Okay fine, I'll get this."

"Did you want to get shoes to go with it?"

"Not now." She said, putting the other outfits on a rack outside of the changing room. "I'll wait until we get back home. Picking shoes is too much of a hassle. Besides, we still need to pick out some clothes for you."

"Say what?"

"Come on, Shadow. You need clothes just like everyone else."

After they paid for Misuki's new outfit, they looked around in different shops for the perfect outfit for Shadow. They went into several different stores where Shadow tried on different combinations of clothes. There were some they both liked and hated, then there were some outfits Misuki liked but Shadow hated and vice versa. Two hours later they took a break and got some food from the food court that was in the center of the plaza. 'This is really hard.' She thought to herself, sipping her smoothie. 'There were some good outfits to pick from. But they're all missing a certain element that would make them perfect for Shadow.' "So, out of all the clothes you tried on, which one was your favorite?"

Shadow ate a couple of fries before answering her. "Honestly, I can't decide. We must have gone through at least half of these stores."

"We might have. We can call it a day if you want and just hang out by the lake again. It's perfect for swimming. The others could join us too."

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea." Shadow said. "I really want to pass the time until tonight. I have a special surprise for you."

"I can't wait." Misuki giggled as she clung to him. "Want the rest of my smoothie?"

"Naw that's okay. I'm full." The two of them went to throw their trash away and then headed to the bike.

"I'll call Sonic and tell them we're heading back." Misuki called Sonic and told them their plan. He agreed to it and said that everyone would be at the lake by the time she and Shadow got there. She also reminded him to tell Amy to bring her new swim suits. After she made the call, she held on to her new outfit as Shadow started the bike and drove back towards the park.

When they arrived at the lake, everyone was already there in their swim suits. Charmy and Cream were in the lake while Sonic and the rest of the gang were on the shore. Sonic and Knuckles were sparring together.

"Hey, you guys made it!" Amy called out to Misuki and Shadow as they walked up to them. "Misuki, you can change in those bushes over there." She handed Misuki her swim suit.

"Thanks, Amy. I'll be back." She kissed Shadow on the cheek before going to change. As she walked away, she could hear Amy telling Shadow that she had a swim suit for him and that he could change in a different place. Misuki began un-dressing and put her clothes in the same bag as her new outfit. She began to put on her swim suit, which was a yellow spaghetti strap bikini top with matching bikini bottoms that had laces on the sides. Her face began to flush red when she thought about Shadow's expression when he saw her. Misuki looked up to see that Shadow was already in his swim trunks and talking with Sonic and Espio. 'Why am I so nervous about him seeing me in a bikini? We went to the water park in Disneyland. Except I was in a one piece. But Shadow also went with me to get that swim suit, and saw me in several different bikini's when I was trying them on.' She looked back up at Shadow, who had an un-amused expression on his face. He looked over in her direction, causing her to duck so he wouldn't see her face or her bathing suit. 'Come on, Misuki! Just go out there. He's waiting for you.' She took in a deep breath and emerged from the bushes with the bag of clothes in her hand. "Just walk towards him casually."

**Shadow: **"Hey Shadow, if Misuki asked you to go swimming with her, would you do it?" Knuckles asked him.

"Why do you want to know something like that?"

"Just curious. Sonic won't go in no matter how much Amy begs him, so I thought you'd have more balls than him."

Shadow folded his arms and looked out at the lake. "I guess I'd try to get used to the water. On our first anniversary trip, all we did was put our feet in the water. There was a time when she went into the wave pool. I didn't go in with her."

"Why didn't you?" Vector asked.

"I just didn't feel like it. Like I told Tails yesterday, I prefer to watch her have fun and smile. But I did promise her that the next time we went swimming, I would get in the water with her. Guess that promise is going to be made now."

"Hey guys! Sorry I took so long!"

Shadow turned around to the sound of Misuki's voice. He saw her in a yellow two-piece that almost made him go insane. Her face was bright red as she set her clothes down in the grass.

"You look amazing, Misuki." Knuckles complimented.

"I agree!" Vector said.

"Do you really think so?" She tucked her hair behind her ear while staring at the ground.

They all nodded in agreement.

She looked up at Shadow, waiting for him to respond. He held back his nervousness and approached her. He held onto her shoulders. "You look absolutely beautiful." He told her.

Her face lit up after he complimented her.

Shadow offered her his hand. "Wanna go for a swim?"

"You really mean it?" she asked with a surprised looked.

"I did promise you. I've made a habit out of keeping my promises to you."

Misuki smiled as she took his hand and followed him to the lake. Shadow stepped in first, realizing that it was cool to the touch. "It's okay, Misuki. The water is just right." He guided her into the water, staying near her as they went further and further into the lake until they couldn't touch the bottom again.

Misuki let go of Shadow and began to relax once she was swimming around for a short while. "Wow, this feels amazing!" She laughed as she swam around Shadow, diving under the water and coming back up.

All Shadow did was float there and smile until Misuki splashed him with water. He wiped his face and got her back. "If that's how you want to play it, then so be it!" He began laughing as they continued splashing each other until others joined in and people divided into teams.

"Hey Misuki, here's a splash for you!" Knuckles shouted as he prepared to do a cannon ball. The splash it made hit Misuki dead on.

Shadow snuck behind Knuckles as he came back up and ducked him down in the water for a few seconds and then swam away as fast as he could. "That's for the cannon ball."

"You wanna play like that, Shadow? Fine then!" Knuckles dived back down into the water. Shadow didn't know what he was up to until he felt something grab his ankles and then pulled him under. Once Shadow was beneath the water, Knuckles attempted to punch him. Shadow blocked it, pulling him deeper than he was and then catapulting himself from Knuckles' head. He rose back up and shook the water from his hair and face.

"Did you get him?" Misuki asked.

Shadow quickly got out of the lake before he emerged. "I think so."

Knuckles finally came back up, gasping for breath. "You think you can get away from me that easily!?"

Shadow chuckled while standing proudly on the surface with his arms folded. "That depends on if you think you can take me on."

"Oh you asked for it! Here I come!"

"How does a splash fight turn into a battle royal?" Amy asked.

"It's Shadow and Knuckles." Misuki answered.

"You ready to go, Shadow?" Knuckles exclaimed, jumping out of the lake."

"This is going to be too easy."

**Misuki: **Misuki sat in the lake with Amy and Charmy, watching the brawl between Shadow and Knuckles. "Hey sis, are you upset that Shadow's in a sparring match instead of paying attention to you?" Charmy asked her.

"I honestly think this is good for him." She answered, keeping an eye on the match. "If he wants to get into a friendly fight, I'm not going to stop him. As long as they don't seriously hurt each other, it's okay. Besides, those two have wanted to have a serious match against each other for a while now. This might be their only chance to do this."

"Ha, take that, Shadow!" Knuckles exclaimed after performing a flip kick on Shadow.

Shadow recovered and quickly put Knuckles in a choke hold, bringing him down to his knees. "Say 'uncle'. Come in, Knux! Say it!" He squeezed tighter the more Knuckles struggled against him.

"Okay, okay, uncle! Uncle!" Knuckles exclaimed over and over while tapping on Shadow's arm.

Misuki got out of the lake and stopped the match. "He's given up, Shadow. Let him go already."

He did what she told him and released Knuckles. "That's one point for me."

"Yeah well, don't get cocky." Knuckles told him. "I'll get you back one day."

It was finally dawn. Misuki and Shadow went back to the camp site to wash off and get ready for their anniversary date under the stars. Misuki quickly went through her things and got the present she was going to give to Shadow. She placed it in her sleeping bag and made sure it was secure. 'It's almost time.' She told herself as she sighed.

"Misuki, are you ready to go?" Shadow asked as Misuki came out of the back room.

"Yeah, I'm right behind you." She followed him out of the RV.

"I'll take that for you." Sonic came up to her and took the sleeping bag for her.

Before he took off, Misuki whispered in his ear. "Shadow's anniversary present is in there. When you set it up, tuck it securely under the sheets or pillow."

"Leave it to me." Sonic ran back towards the lake while the others said their last congratulations to Misuki and Shadow.

"Have fun, you two!" Amy said while hugging Misuki. "You guys are so lucky."

"Don't worry, Amy." Misuki giggled. "When yours and Sonic's anniversary comes up, I'll help plan everything."

"Sounds like a plan to me!"

"Misuki, let's get going. We're gonna miss watching the sunset." Shadow called from the bike.

She rushed over to him and boarded the bike while waving good-bye one last time to everyone. "See you all in the morning!" They two sped off just as Sonic returned to the camp.

"Keep an eye on her, Shadow!" Sonic called out to him. "You kids have a great time!"

During the short ride, Misuki could see the sun lowering below the horizon. The sky began getting a beautiful red-orange tint with some purple in the clouds. She couldn't help but stare at it, even when they arrived at the lake once again. This time, their sleeping bags were set up in front of a picnic that contained sparkling cider, assorted chocolates and homemade spaghetti decorated with parsley. "Oh my god this is just as beautiful as the breakfast."

They sat down and began to enjoy their dinner while watching the sunset. "Espio really outdid himself." Shadow said. "You and him need to teach me to make stuff like this."

Misuki swallowed her food before she spoke. "You want to learn how to cook? You made the breakfast."

"Yeah, but that's it. French toast is the only thing I can cook."

Misuki giggled at Shadow's red face. "When we get back, I'll teach you how to cook. We can start with my rice balls. Is that a good place to start?"

"It's okay with me." He agreed, continuing his meal.

"The sun's almost down." They both stared out at the horizon and watched the moon show itself while the sun went down, ending the day. Misuki got closer to Shadow, leaning against him as the night surrounded them. Once the sun had completely vanished, Misuki and Shadow began munching on the chocolates while staring out at the lake. Misuki placed a chocolate in her mouth and leaned into Shadow. He saw what she was intending, and leaned towards her and kissed her, taking the chocolate from her lips. "That had to be the sweetest piece out of all of them."

Misuki couldn't help but laugh as she pushed him. "You're so corny." She told him.

Shadow laughed along with her and then looked up at the stars.

Misuki felt around her sleeping bag and found her gift to Shadow close to the pillow. "Shadow…I got you something." She gave him the little red box. "I know it's not much but…I hope you like it anyway."

Shadow took the box and opened it. It was a heart-shaped charm with a small engraving that said 'I love you'. "This is beautiful, Misuki. Thank you." He unhooked the charm bracelet from his pants and attached the charm. "I absolutely love it." He kissed her again on the cheek. "I have a special surprise for you too." He reached into his pocket and took out a small black box. "I think you'll really like this."

Misuki held the box in her hand before opening it. She gasped as she stared at a locket necklace in the shape of a heart with a little flower pattern on it. "Shadow…this is…" She didn't know how to describe what she was feeling.

"Open it."

She undid the lock to see two pictures set within it. The left side had a picture of her and Shadow while the right had an old photo of her and her parents. She began to weep at the gift she held in her hand. "I love it, Shadow! This is…so thoughtful."

"Let me put it on you." He took the locket from her as she turned around and lifted her hair from her neck. "It looks beautiful on you." He told her.

Misuki looked down at it and held it within her hand. "You're the best."

They shared a passionate kiss for a while before Shadow pulled away. "There's one more surprise."

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

He pointed towards the sky and waited for a short while. Soon, fireworks lit up the night sky and made Misuki jump. The sky transformed into different colors and patterns. "Happy anniversary."

"I love you so much, Shadow." She hugged him tightly, not taking her eyes off of the firework show. "This is definitely the best anniversary I've ever had."

"The fireworks are complimentary of Charmy." Shadow told her.

She rested her head on his shoulder while giggling. "You two are quite the little schemers. This is so beautiful." Misuki was taken in by the amazing display until something caught her eye. A flash of light spun in the air out of control, pre-maturely setting off several of the fireworks.

The light dashed through the fireworks and soon headed towards Misuki and Shadow. They quickly jumped out of the way and watched the object crash land into the lake. The massive splash ruined their picnic. "Are you alright, Misuki?" Shadow asked.

"I think so." She rubbed her head while standing back up. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know. Let's check it out." Shadow and Misuki cautiously approached the lake and found a body floating in the lake.

Please R&R ^_^


	6. Bleak Future

**Chapter Five: Bleak Future**

**Misuki: **Shadow pulled the body out of the lake and set it gently in the grass. He then leaned in to listen for a heartbeat. "There's a faint heartbeat." He told her. The man had a pale face and silver/white hair.

Misuki bent down to examine his wounds. "Majority of his wounds are burns. I can still feel heat radiating off of them."

"Espio packed the first-aid kit, right?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah but…I'm not sure if a first-aid kit will help him. His strength is down to almost nothing."

Shadow lifted the body up over his shoulders. "Let's get him back to the site anyway. If we don't treat him, he's not going to last much longer." Misuki helped Shadow carry the stranger back to Sonic and the others.

It took them a while, even with the weight being shared it was still a burden. "Sonic, Espio, Knuckles, we need help!" Lucky for them that the others hadn't fallen asleep yet.

Sonic and the others rushed towards Shadow and Misuki in shock of the body they were carrying. "Who's that?" Knuckles asked.

"We don't know." Misuki answered, trying to hold on to half of his weight. "There was a bright light that fell from the sky and the next thing we know, this guy is floating in the lake with burns and bruises. Is the bed occupied?"

"Uh, no I don't think so." Knuckles led them to the R.V. where Misuki and Shadow laid the stranger in the bed.

Espio came in with a first aid kit. "I'll do a quick check-up on him. Misuki and Shadow, you two should go back to your anniversary."

"If there's nothing else we can do, then we'll check back here first thing in the morning." Shadow said. "Ready to go back, Misuki?"

Misuki wasn't comfortable with leaving the guy in the condition he was in, even though she agreed with Shadow and also wanted to continue with her anniversary. "Yeah I guess so." She walked out of the RV with Shadow and back to the lake. It was hard for her to relax under the stars.

"Look over there, Misuki. There's the little dipper."

"I remember seeing that when I was younger. It was a year before you woke up. My dad was teaching me about stars and planets, and I saw Venus. There was another night that I saw Leo and it was so amazing." Misuki rested her head on Shadow's chest while she gripped and twirled her new locket necklace in her hand as she stared up at the stars. She kept watching out for more shooting stars that would potentially fall towards them.

"Are you comfortable?" Shadow asked her, rubbing her back.

"I'm okay." She answered, smiling. "This is really nice. The two of us snuggled together under the stars. This is the best anniversary I've ever had."

"Me too."

"Do you think that boy will be okay?"

"Where is this coming from?" Shadow asked.

Misuki lifted herself up so she could look at Shadow directly. "Well…you remember earlier today when we went shopping, you said that you felt something was going to happen?"

He nodded his head.

She let out a sigh while tucking her hair behind her ear. "After seeing that guy and the condition he was in, I'm starting to think that maybe you weren't paranoid. I can sense that something else might follow him and affect us in some dramatic way."

"Whatever happens from here on, I will take care of you and make sure nothing harms you in any way or fashion."

Misuki giggled as she leaned in and tenderly kissed Shadow for a long while. "I promise to protect you too, Shadow." She leaned back in and began making out with Shadow as a cool breeze past through them, making Misuki's heart pound rapidly. "What is that?" Misuki got off of Shadow and looked around as the wind became violent and the atmosphere became heavier.

A bright light fell from the center of the storm, landing in the middle of the lake and blinded the two of them. Shadow stood up and pulled Misuki out of the way as the silhouette of a person emerged from the light. As it dimmed, they saw a pale-skinned man with silver hair spiked straight up. The outfit he wore was made out of platinum from the look of it, but had a modern touch to it. 'His aura is over-whelming.' Misuki thought as she held tightly onto Shadow. 'I can barely breathe.'

The light diminished and the man stared evilly at Misuki and Shadow. He grinned while concentrating energy into his left hand while levitating over the lake. "Well, well…I thought I'd seen the last of you two. But it looks like that fool has succeeded in travelling to the past."

"Who the hell are you!?" Shadow asked as he pointed his gun at him.

The man chuckled as he slowly approached them and landed onto the grass. "I forget that this is the first time we've met. Well technically second. My name is Nazo." Nazo looked past Shadow and straight at Misuki. "Oh do I have plans for you, Misuki Hikotsu."  
Misuki felt fear grip her to the point where she almost passed out if she wasn't holding onto Shadow.

"Take one step towards her, and I'll end you right here!"

Nazo chuckled. "Poor little Shadow. You act tough with your gun, thinking you're intimidating. But compared to me…you're nothing but a worthless insect." He fired the energy directly at Shadow and Misuki. Just as it was inches away from them, another attack intercepted Nazo's and cancelled it.

Misuki looked over to see the silver-haired boy she and Shadow pulled from the lake standing there. Even from a distance, she could see that he was still weak and despite his wounds being wrapped in gauge, they were opening up and staining them. "What are you doing here?" she asked him. "You're in no shape to fight!"

He quickly got in front of her and Shadow, staring Nazo down. "You can't fight this guy with your skills. Get out of here and leave him to me!"

Following behind him were Sonic, Knuckles, Espio and Vector. Misuki quickly ran over to them. "Why did you let him come out here in the condition he's in?" She asked Espio.

"Don't blame Espio." Sonic told her as Shadow approached them. "He woke up right after we bandaged him and said that you guys were in danger. Then he just took off."

"I must applaud you, Silver." Nazo said. "You actually succeeded in going back into the past. But no matter what you do, nothing will change the events that will occur."

"You're wrong, Nazo!" Silver gripped his torso and bent down in pain. "I will destroy you and save the future!"

"What are they talking about?" Misuki asked, keeping close to Shadow. Once the two began fighting, she could tell that Silver wasn't going to last very long. Sure enough, Nazo began pounding him into the ground until some of his bandages loosened and slipped off. 'He's going to die.' Without thinking, nor saying anything, Misuki ran towards the fight. "CHAOS ARROW!" Misuki fired an arrow at Nazo, making him dodge and levitate away from Silver, giving her the chance to stand in front of him and point another arrow at Nazo.

Nazo smiled, looking amused at Misuki's bravery and courage.

"I don't know what's going on, but I won't let you hurt him anymore! If you're truly set on fighting someone…fight me!" Misuki felt a hand grab her ankle.

She looked down to see Silver attempt to stop her. "You…can't win." He struggled. "Y…You…are the…key…"

"Hang in there." She told him as he began to black out. "Damn it. We need to get him medical help right away." She turned back to Nazo and unleashed more energy in order to fire three Chaos Arrows with one shot. "I don't care what conflict you and this guy have with one another…but you ruined my anniversary. That is an action I cannot forgive. CHAOS ARROW!" The arrows flew at Nazo, but he put up a shield around him, causing them to disintegrate.

She prepared for another attack before Nazo lifted himself higher into the air. "This was more fun during the first encounter. But since Silver is out, I can't have any fun. I'll let you all live for now. Cherish your lives while you can. As of right now…your time on this floating rock is limited." His body lit up and in a flash he was gone.

Misuki instantly turned to Silver and checked on every single wound that was bleeding. "Hey Silver…can you hear me?" She shook him gently to get him to wake up. She released a sigh of relief when he opened his eyes and looked up at her while grunting in pain. "Silver, I want you to stay with me. Do you think you can do that?"

He used what little strength he had to nod his head.

"Can you guys give me a hand? His wounds are becoming exposed and are expanding."

Espio and Knuckles rushed towards Misuki and helped take care of Silver. "We can't move him. He's in a very critical condition." Espio said as they carefully rolled him onto his back. He gritted his teeth at the pain he felt. "Sonic, run back to the camp and bring me the rest of the first said kit."

"You got it buddy."

"Shadow, help us cover up some of these wounds."

The three of them used different articles of their clothing to conceal several of the wounds until Sonic came back with the kit. Espio and Misuki took care of sanitizing and re-bandaging Silver's wounds. Once they were done, Espio and Vector carefully picked him up and they all headed back to the camp.

Misuki and Shadow stayed within the camp just for safety.

"I'm sorry this all happened, Misuki." Shadow said as they lied down under the stars.

She cuddled closer to Shadow, staring at the night sky with fear. "Don't apologize." She told him. "I knew something would interrupt our time together at some point. But I was the one who didn't want to believe it." She paused for a moment. "How did that guy know my name?" Misuki couldn't stop herself from shaking, making it hard for her to fall asleep.

"It doesn't matter." Shadow told her. "He won't come anywhere near you. I'll make sure of that."

Once morning came, they all headed back towards home where Silver was able to get better treatment and get more rest.

Misuki spent some time alone with the Master Emerald to gather her thoughts. While doing so, a knock came to the door. "Misuki, it Knuckles. Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Knuckles entered the room and sat with Misuki.

"My heart hasn't stopped pounding since last night." She told Knuckles.

"That's funny…Shadow's going through the same emotions. He hasn't left the room since we got here."

"I tried giving him some food since he didn't eat anything on the way home, but all he ate were the rice balls I made him. And now the Master Emerald is acting up. It's releasing more energy than usual and it's becoming slightly unstable."

"Hopefully we can get some answers from this guy after he wakes up."

"How is he doing by the way?" she asked.

"Well, Espio had to hook him up to an I.V. and gave him some medicine. He said he should wake up very soon."

Misuki continued staring at the Master Emerald, feeling her own Chaos energy being stirred up. Most of it came from her anniversary being ruined. Another portion was reacting to what Silver said to her while she stood up against Nazo.

_ You…are the…key…_

'I'm the key? What the hell did he mean by that?' "I'm going to go check on Shadow."

"Okay. I'm going to see what Tails is up to."

The two of them walked out of the room and went in opposite directions. Misuki opened the door to hers and Shadow's bedroom to see Shadow lying on the bed with his eyes closed. She couldn't tell if he had actually fallen asleep or was just deep in thought. She hovered over him and stroked his face, moving his bangs out of his face which caused him to open his eyes and look up at her. She gave him a small smile. "Were you asleep?"

He sat up and fixed his hair. "Naw, I just felt like closing my eyes."

She nodded while taking a seat across from him on the bed. "Were you thinking about what happened last night?"

Shadow put on a grim expression once the topic was brought up. "That guy…Nazo. The amount of energy he gave off actually made me tremble."

Misuki looked from him to out the window seeing the clear summer weather mask the grim clouds that hovered over the house. "I felt it too. Silver also had a large amount of energy, even when he was wounded. It's as if…they're not from Earth."

"It's actually safe to say that they're not from Earth."

Misuki turned back to Shadow in shock. "You're serious?"

"Nazo's power actually matched that of the Chaos Emeralds. Silver's power wasn't as strong as Nazo's, but it did surpass mine by about fifteen percent."

"Either way…we'll learn everything once Silver wakes up. But, I'm not so sure I want to know what's going on."

Author's Note: I'm sorry if this took so long. I haven't been feeling well and I didn't have time to work on this. On top of that, I've had to catch upon schoolwork, taking more out of my schedule. But nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed ^^

Also I had a hard time fully describing Nazo's appearance and clothing. I am going to draw him out so if you want to see it, check out my DeviantArt account. My username is Misuki-Hikotsu. I will have it up asap.

Next chapter will be uploaded sometime in April.

Please R&R


	7. Celestial World

**Chapter Six: Celestial World**

**Misuki: **Misuki and Shadow went into the living room to watch a little television with Knuckles and Charmy. They were watching one of Charmy's favorite action cartoons, but Misuki hardly paid any attention to it. She just rested herself within Shadow's arms and went through different scenarios in her head about what type of war they would be going into. The peace they had for now was not going to last; then again, it never does.

"Hey guys, Silver's waking up." Sonic came into the living room and said the words that made all of them awaken from their melancholy. They all followed him to infirmary where Espio was checking Silver's vitals as he was waking up. He gave Silver a glass of water. At that moment, Misuki and the others entered the infirmary. "How are you feeling?" Sonic asked him. Misuki sat back next to Shadow with her arms crossed, glaring at Silver.

Silver finished his water before he spoke. "Other than regaining my strength, I'm doing okay. Your friend is an amazing healer." He turned to look at Espio.

"Well it was a lot easier to treat you here than with a first-aid kit." He said.

"Since you're feeling better…" Misuki began, stepping closer towards him. "…perhaps you'd like to tell us just who you are and why you and your friend decided to come in and ruin our anniversary?" Knuckles had to be the one to pull her back and calm her down, since Shadow was siding with Misuki.

Silver sighed while setting his glass aside. "I'm really sorry I ruined your plans." He said. "Believe me it wasn't intentional. I didn't know which point the warp would take me to. As for the man you saw…he is definitely no friend of mine." Silver had a scowl on his face as the room fell unpleasantly silent.

"Who exactly was he? And who are you?" Knuckles asked.

"We call him Nazo. I am known as Silver. I come from a world beyond your own."

"What world would that be?" Misuki asked.

"It is referred to your people as the celestial plains."

"Celestial plains?" Vector questioned.

Silver nodded.

"In other words…you're a star." Shadow figured out.

Everyone looked at Shadow in shock. They all looked back at Silver as he nodded his head again. "You are correct, Shadow. I was born a star. And in a few years' time, I harnessed energy and finally achieved a form I could call my own." Silver looked down at his lap, clenching his fists. "As for Nazo…he was born from the negative energy of the Earth."

"That would explain his power." Shadow said.

"We do consider him a celestial being because he can travel through dimensions and even time. Despite his appearance, he is very intelligent and can match whatever you throw at him. He reads your strengths and weaknesses and then uses them against you."

"Okay, now that we got the general questions out of the way…" Misuki stepped up again, growing impatient. "…let's get down to the real details of this situation. Nazo looked straight at me and said he had plans for me. On top of that, he knew mine and Shadow's name. How did he know who we were and what is he planning?" Misuki did her best to hold herself back from slugging Silver out of fear.

Shadow stepped in this time and put his arm around her in an attempt to calm her down. "Misuki, you're shaking."

She shrugged his arm off of her. "Don't act like you're not pissed off and confused, Shadow! I know you're just as upset as I am right now.

"I am upset. But that's no reason to come at him like you are. Give him a chance to explain himself." He looked up at Silver and saw a vacant expression on his face. "I suggest you start explaining yourself. I won't be able to hold her back much longer."

"Uhh, well…it's not just your names he knows; it's all of you." Silver finally said. "To put it simply, you guys have faced Nazo before. But…none of you survived, and he ended up destroying the planet." Everyone fell silent at that point. Silver looked around at everyone's flabbergasted faces. The last person he looked at was Misuki who had a tint of blue in her face. "The reason he knows you two better than any of your friends is because at some point, Nazo will take the Chaos Emerald resting within Misuki…and then take control of her."

Misuki's body trembled all over to the point she almost lost her balance. She slowly backed away from Silver until she found herself leaning against Shadow.

"There's more." He said again. "During the final battle…Misuki will die. That is the sign of this world's end."

"You can't be serious!" Knuckles exclaimed. "How does she die!?"

"When Nazo no longer has any use for her, he disposes of her before attempting to dispose of the entire planet."

When everyone looked back at Misuki, she was on her knees, grasping her chest. She felt as if her heart was going to burst out of her, and she was to the point where she almost blacked out. She took in a few breaths as Shadow attempted to help her up. Knuckles aided Shadow in getting Misuki on her feet again.

Silver just stared as they sat her down on the couch and Espio gave her some water. "I'm sorry to bring this on to you. But that's why I'm here: to make sure that doesn't happen. When Nazo destroyed the world, the explosion somehow managed to rip a fabric in time. Once I saw it, I knew I could use this to chance to change the outcome. That's how I ended up here." Misuki's expression still didn't change."

**Shadow: **"Knuckles, will you take Misuki to her room and calm her down?" Shadow asked after Misuki had finished her water. "I think she's heard enough."

"Yeah, I'll take care of her." Knuckles helped Misuki out of the chair and led her out of the infirmary.

Once they were both gone, Shadow approached Silver. "Silver, since you already know what the future holds, doesn't that also mean you know Nazo's every move?" he asked him.

"Yes, that's right."

"If that's the case, all you have to do is tell us exactly when and where Nazo will strike. Then, we can stop him at every turn and eventually prevent him from taking Misuki and destroying the planet." Sonic said.

"I honestly don't think it'll be as easy as that, Sonic." Shadow told him, folding his arms.

"What do you mean?"

"Silver said that Nazo is intelligent. So, if he's as smart as you say he is, doesn't that mean there is a possibility that he'll slightly change his approach to lure us into an obvious trap?"

Silver sat there and thought about that scenario for a short second. "You do have a point there." He agreed. "But still, he will show up in the same locations as before. Especially since all the locations he goes to have a Chaos Emerald hidden within it."

"Looks like the Chaos Emerald hunt has begun once again!" Sonic announced in a sarcastic tone.

"Okay guys. I think that's enough questions for now." Espio announced to everyone. "Silver needs to finish his recovery. Once he gets better, we'll be able to plan out a strategy." Upon Espio's request, everyone began to leave the infirmary.

Shadow however, stayed behind for a little longer. He glared at Silver, thinking about Misuki's condition and the news about her impending death.

"I know you of all people are concerned about Misuki. But I guarantee that we can stop Nazo and keep her out of harm's way."

"I'm going to say this once. Just so you and I are clear, we are not friends. I'm only doing this to for her sake. Misuki is my entire reason of living. I won't let you or any supernatural force take her away from me. If you ever make Misuki that upset again, I promise you that Nazo won't be the only one you have to worry about. Understand?"

"I understand, Shadow." Silver said in a calming tone. "However, one thing I have to say to you is you have to be more cautious than anyone."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, folding his arms and giving Silver a sinister look.

"No matter how much you love Misuki…there are times when you are forced to go away from her to fight. At those moments, she's vulnerable if she cannot fight for herself."

"I assure you, even without me, she can protect herself."

"Believe me, she doesn't always fight. Nazo always managed to say something that made her incapable of defending herself. All I'm telling you is that no matter how many times you say it, you won't always be there to protect Misuki. And even if you do…you always used up every drop of your strength until you either blacked out or just couldn't move."

Feeling his heart pound out of irritation from Silver's words, Shadow stormed out of the infirmary and up to his room to check on Misuki. On the way, he actually allowed Silver's words to click in his head and got him thinking about his current level of strength and how much more needed to be added to that. 'Hopefully I can train and become stronger.'

When he got to the room, Misuki was lying in the bed, staring out the window. It was wide open as a soft breeze blew into the room and brushed through Misuki's hair and eventually Shadow's hair. He slowly walked towards her and sat on the edge, stroking her arm for comfort. "Are you doing better?" he asked in a soft tone. She didn't answer him. He peaked over to see a blank vacant face with tear stains going from her eyes and down her cheeks. Shadow was afraid to say anything else, but he had to get her to respond to him. Finally, he lifted her up and held her in his arms. She responded by wrapping her arms around him and grabbing a hold of his shirt. She trembled for a short while, but stopped after Shadow gently kissed her on the forehead. "I'm just as scared as you are." He said to her in a soft tone. "I swear I won't let you die. If necessary…I'll give up my own life just to let you live."

She shook her head. "Please don't say that, Shadow." She sobbed. "I just want you to tell me that everything will be okay and that I will live a long life with you and our friends. I'm begging you…say that…" Another river of tears began falling from her eyes.

Shadow squeezed her tighter to make the tears stop. "Everything will be okay. You and I will continue living side by side. I promise you…I will be your sword and shield. Nothing will get past me."

Only a small amount of tears fell from her eyes as she looked up at Shadow and smiled. "I love you so much, Shadow."

He smiled back at her and gently kissed her soft lips before speaking. "I love you too…Misuki. I will stay by you." They pressed their lips together once again and shared a tender kiss for a few more moments. Each moment to both of them was more precious than the last.

After a while, Shadow tucked Misuki into bed to let her rest and clear her thoughts. "Do you want me to bring you some more water?" Shadow asked her as he stroked her head.

"Actually, instead of water, I'd like some orange juice. That might cheer me up a little bit." Misuki told him.

"Okay, get some rest." He gave Misuki one last kiss on the forehead before leaving the room. As he closed the door, Sonic approached him.

"Misuki's resting?" he asked Shadow.

Shadow nodded his head. "I had to comfort her for a while, but she's slowly turning back to her normal self again. But I don't think she likes Silver all that much."

Sonic chuckled. "I think that was pretty obvious when we were all in there."

"Anyway, I'm going to get her some orange juice."

"Cool, I was going to head towards the living room anyway."

The two walked down the hall together in silent for a short time. "So, what do you make of this situation?" Shadow asked Sonic. "By situation, I mean Silver."

"Honestly, it might be my carefree heart speaking here…but I say we trust him until he makes us think otherwise. He sounded like he was telling the truth in my opinion. Especially that bit about Misuki dying. Like you, I don't joke about something like that. And I think it's cruel and sick if someone does use that as a joke."

"Yeah, I agree with you there." They eventually reached the kitchen.

Sonic handed Shadow a random cup from the cabinet. "I will say that he shouldn't have just said it so straight forward. He saw her reaction from it. He should've just ended it there without going into detail."

"Most of that can be blamed on Knuckles." Shadow said as he poured the orange juice into the cup. "He was the one who asked."

"True, but I think all of us were just a little bit curious."

"I'm more upset with Silver than Knuckles. Seeing that look on Misuki's face…it was the same as when I went out of control when she was younger and I attacked her. She had that same expression a few seconds before. And then seeing tears in her eyes after so long. That's what set my blood boiling." He put the juice back in the fridge.

"Right, your promise to her saying she'd never cry again." Sonic followed Shadow back up to the room. "You are a true companion, Shadow. I'm proud to call you my friend. And Misuki is very lucky to have you by her side."

Shadow made a small smile appear on his face as they came up to the door. "Thanks, Sonic."

"No prob, buddy. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check on Knuckles and make sure he hasn't done any damage to any of the equipment…or Vector."

Shadow had no choice but to chuckle at that. "Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll catch you later, Sonic."

"Back at ya. I'll come see Misuki after she's rested."

As Sonic went back down the hall, Shadow opened the door to the room and saw Misuki was already fast asleep. He gently set the glass on the nightstand and then pushed Misuki's bangs back so he could see her face. 'Misuki, I don't want you to think about fighting or the end of the world. The only thing I wish…is for you to have sweet dreams.'

Author's Note: Yeeeaahhh this chapter had a lot of tense moments in it ^_^ It took me forever to get through every dialogue and find the right phrases for all the characters that were involved. But still, I hope you enjoyed it!

Next chapter will have an epic battle in it! WOOT!

Until then, please R&R (wO)b


	8. Strength vs Emotions

**Chapter Seven: Strength vs. Emotions**

**Shadow: **Shadow stayed by Misuki, stroking her hair and caressing her as she slept. Memories of the two of them flashed through his mind. All of the happiness they had in the beginning was quickly consumed by darkness. That darkness lingered for years as lies were put into his head to make him fight her. But then, he was able to escape the darkness and lies, returning light to the two of them. Everything they went through together…Shadow blamed on himself.

In his mind, he blamed and punished himself for causing all of Misuki's hardship and torment. It all began with one misunderstanding, and he was separated from her. Now, he thought that they would finally be happy together and leave the past behind them. But, that same cloud of darkness that consumed them before…is reforming once again.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Shadow slowly stood up, making sure his movement didn't disturb Misuki's slumber. He opened the door halfway to see Espio. "Is everything okay?" He aksed him.

"I made some lunch for everyone. Do you want me to bring it up?"

"It's lunch time already?"

Espio nodded his head. "Yeah, it's a few minutes past two."

"I see." He paused for a while. He looked back and stared at Misuki for a few moments. "I'll come down. I don't want to wake Misuki." He stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him.

When they arrived into the dining room, everyone was gathered and the table was fully set. "Go ahead and sit down. I'll bring the food out."

"Espio hold on. I'll help you out." Shadow said.

"Are you sure about that?"

Shadow nodded. "I've been sitting down for a long time. I want to help out at least a little bit."

Espio couldn't help but smile at Shadow. "Alright, if you insist." The two of them went into the kitchen and got the food ready to serve. "I'll put some food to the side for Misuki in case she wakes up." Espio said, putting some food on a separate plate. "It'd be a shame if we all ate and there wasn't anything left for her."

Shadow let out a soft chuckle. "Thanks, Espio."

"You know, Shadow, we're all just as worried about you as we are about Misuki. You've had that same look on your face since we left the picnic."

It was hard for Shadow to look at Espio directly. However, he did show a small smile.

"What's with the smile?" Espio asked as he wrapped up Misuki's food.

"I'm always surprised at how easily all of you are able to read me like an open book. At first Misuki was the only one who could see right through me. She always knew the right thing to say to bring me back."

"To be honest, all of us are still blind." Espio told him. "There are things about you that the rest of us still don't understand, despite all of the battles we've been in together. Misuki is still the only one out of all of us that has the ability to read every bit of you. Just ask the others, and they'll confirm that fact."

'What do I say to that? What is there to say about that? I've been closed to everything and everyone. Even after leaving Eggman, I kept myself closed to the world because I was afraid it would shun me. But no matter how tightly I lock myself away…she always manages to break through and see every bit of me. What else is there to read? Does Misuki know more about me that I do?'

After he finished lunch, he got a call. He went into another room to answer it. "This is Shadow."

"Shadow, it's Rouge. The Commander needs to see you immediately."

"What for? Is it Eggman?"

"No, but it is important. We need you at the base as soon as possible."

Shadow didn't want to leave Misuki alone, but he couldn't give the Commander an excuse. "Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"See you there."

He hung up the phone and then took a little time to get himself together. He went back to the room and quickly gathered his gun and ammo.

"Shadow, were are you going?"

Misuki's voice stopped him just before he could set a foot out of the room. He turned around and walked towards her as she got out of the bed. "The Commander needs me. I need to report in to G.U.N. Wait here for me, and I'll be back as soon as possible."

She looked up at him with upset yet understanding eyes. All she did was hug him tightly and walk down with him. "You better not get hurt." She whispered to him.

"I won't." He replied back under a low chuckle.

"Shadow, you've got to see the news!" Vector ran into the room in a panic.

"What's going on?"

"Come see for yourself!"

Misuki and Shadow followed Vector into the living room where everyone was gathered in front of the TV. They turned it up so they could hear the news.

"Eye witness reports say that a mysterious man was seen hovering over Boston, New York. He landed down and began blasting beams of light from his hands that blew up several shops in the area. The man entered the rubble and found what people believe to be one of the Chaos Emeralds. With it in hand, he took off without a trace. G.U.N. troops are being rallied to check the casualties and find out anything they can about this attack."

They examined the screen shots. "That's Nazo!" Misuki exclaimed.

"That's probably the reason the Commander needs to see me."

"He's already made his move!" Everyone turned to see Silver leaning on crutches. "We have to track him down before it's too late!"

"What're you doing out of bed?" Espio rushed to his side to support him.

"I need to hurry to G.U.N." Shadow said as he headed towards the door. He gave Misuki a good-bye kiss before he opened the door. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise."

"Be safe."

He nodded and left the house.

When he got to the G.U.N. headquarters, Rouge was waiting for him outside of the base. "You made it just in time."

"I take it this is about what was on the news."

"You got it." Rouge said. "The Commander is deploying troops to the sight. He's waiting for us in the head chopper. Let's move out."

Shadow followed Rouge to the head chopper, watching the other soldiers board the supporting choppers with supplies. They were soon standing in front of the Commander. They saluted to him. "Agent Shadow reporting in, sir."

"At ease, Shadow." The Commander ordered. "We have reports of a strange man destroying half of Boston for a Chaos Emerald. One of our squads who just arrived at the scene reported that about four civilians were killed and six were injured. Our job is to look for any clues as to who this man is."

"Actually…I know a little bit about him." Shadow confessed.

The Commander glared at him. "Explain on the way. Let's move out people! Take off now!" He, Shadow and Rouge quickly boarded the chopper and lifted into the air, with the others following behind. As they flew to the scene, Shadow explained the basic details of Nazo and his plans. He left out the part of Misuki's immanent death, but he did explain briefly about Silver's role in this, ending with the information that he can help stop him at certain points.

"Damn it, the last thing we need is another supernatural being threatening the planet." Rouge said as she sat back with her arms folded. "But it sounds like this Nazo is more dangerous and powerful than Black Doom."

"Does this Silver tell why Nazo wants to blow up the Earth?" The Commander asked.

"Not that I recall. Actually…I wonder why he didn't mention it."

"Well, if he knows Nazo's every move, why didn't he send you or your friends over to prevent this attack?" the Commander asked, staring at Shadow suspiciously.

"As he told us this information, we thought about the possibility of him changing his plans to throw us off and maybe speed up his goal. Even if Silver did tell us this was going to happen, there was a chance that it wouldn't happen."

"If this spot had a Chaos Emerald, then of course he would attack." Rouge pointed out.

Shadow sighed in confusion and exhaustion. "Look, this whole thing is complicated. I'm still not clear on all of this myself. I told you everything I know."

"Oh, that reminds me for some reason. How is Misuki doing with all of this?" Rouge asked him. "You said that Silver and Nazo crashed into your anniversary."

Thinking about that made Shadow giggle for some reason. "Well, she's not happy with Silver because of that."

Rouge giggled at that as well. "I can't imagine any woman forgiving someone who crashed her anniversary. Especially if the couple went through hell like you and Misuki did."

"Commander, we're coming up on the site!" The pilot messaged. "We're making our descent now."

"Alright you two. Prepare yourselves." They finally landed near the casualty. When they landed, troops came out with tape, confining the area while others came out with stretchers for the wounded. "Get all of the injured civilians to a nearby hospital and clear out all of this debris!" He ordered.

"Yes sir!"

"Rouge and Shadow, talk to any witnesses that were near this place. The forensics team will try to find any fingerprints."

"It's a boring assignment, but someone has to do it." Rouge said. "Let's get to work, Shadow."

**Misuki: **Misuki helped Espio take care of Silver. "Luckily you didn't open up your wounds." She told him after wrapping new bandages around his scars and bruises.

"What were you thinking jumping out of bed like that in your condition?" Espio asked him.

"I'm a celestial being. I can heal much quicker than all of you."

Misuki scoffed at him. "That doesn't mean you can go out and fight. Geez you really are a whiny brat, aren't you? You think just because you're from another dimension or whatever, you think you can do anything and everything. If you want our help, you'll have to go by our rules. Got it?" She stormed over to the sink to get herself a glass of water.

Most of her frustration came from worrying about Shadow. The Chaos Emerald within her stirred, making her heart pound faster and faster. No matter how many deep breaths she took, she couldn't calm herself down.

"Silver, we told you not to move yet!" Espio exclaimed.

Misuki turned around to see Silver struggle to stand up against Espio. Misuki set her cup down and went to help Espio. All she did was walk up to Silver and slap him across the face. "Do you just use your ears to appear human? You can't do anything until you heal!"

"Look, someone has to go and help Shadow, or he's going to be in worse shape than me!" Silver yelled back.

Misuki took in a small gasp the moment he brought up Shadow. "Something's going to happen to Shadow?"

"Yes! This all happened before! Shadow goes with G.U.N. to investigate the damage Nazo caused. On his way home, Nazo blocks his path and fights him. By the time we get there to help him, he's barely breathing."

Misuki grabbed him by the collar. "When will this happen!?"

"Umm…in about an hour and a half."

"Misuki, before you run off, think about the fact that he's all the way in Boston." Espio pointed out. "You'll never make it in time." He then turns to Silver. "Where exactly do they clash?"

"If I remember correctly, Nazo confronts Shadow one mile into this part of town. It's on the borderline, near a bridge."

"I can make it with the Gear Tails made for me. I'm not letting Shadow fight alone. I never have…and I never will." Misuki rushed out of the room, grabbed her board and one of Shadow's spare guns just in case and left the house. Once she was outside, she hopped on the board and began the race towards Boston. 'I won't abandon you again, Shadow.' She thought back to when G.U.N. attacked her father's lab. 'I swore I'd never let that moment happen ever again.' Even at the speed she was going, she was still very far from Boston and had a lot of ground to cover. But her determination kept her going.

The time was drawing nearer and Misuki was only half-way from her destination. "If I'm going to get there before Shadow, I have to pick up the pace! Come on, Gear! Don't fail me now!" She leaned more forward, accelerating her speed. Eventually, she made it to the location where Nazo would attack Shadow. She pulled to a stop and turned the board back into a small purple disk that she slipped back into her pocket. "Now I have to keep my eye out for him." Misuki pulled the gun from her pocket and made sure it was full of ammo and that the settings were right for her to use. "I don't care what I have to do. I'll keep Nazo away from Shadow."

Just a few miles ahead was Shadow working with the Commander and Rouge. She clenched tightly to the locket she wore around her neck, giving herself courage and strength to look Nazo in the eye. Just as she was harboring all of the power she could, an immense amount of energy began to flow around the area.

A sinister laugh echoed, causing chills to go through her arms and spine. "Well, this is a surprise. I was going to wait here for Shadow to show up, but instead I find his little pet off her leash." Nazo landed in front of Misuki with a cocky smile and folded arms. "But I guess I get the chance to see what you're really made of."

"I'll take you on, just to keep you away from Shadow!" Misuki exclaimed, pulling out the gun. "Silver told me you'd attack Shadow right here and beat him until he was at an inch of his life." She clenched the gun in her hands, resting her finger on the trigger. "I'm here to act as his shield! I'll make sure you don't lay a finger on him!"

Nazo began laughing again. "Oh my god! That's freaking rich! You say you're going to protect Shadow from me, when you're the one fated to die. You'd hasten your death just to save one person? I have to admit, you're very interesting." He continued laughing at Misuki.

She became aggravated at him and all of the games he was playing. "Shut the hell up!" Misuki finally pulled the trigger, shooting Nazo a few times in the head and chest. Still, he stood straight as the bullets were pushed out of his body and his wounds closed up right in front of her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing in front of her.

"Is that really the best you can do?" Nazo chuckled. "If that is, then this fight is going to be very boring."

"If you want to have an exciting battle, then in order to keep Shadow safe, I'll take you on myself! CHAOS ARROW!" Misuki fired several Chaos Arrows towards Nazo. Just as she did, she charged at him to try to attack him with a punch. He dodged all of Misuki's arrows and caught her punch with ease. Misuki then used her body to perform a backflip and gained enough force to kick him in the back of the head. The force made him let go of her fist and sent him flying through the pavement. She landed on her feet and got back into an offensive position. "I told you I'd protect Shadow…and I meant it."

Nazo managed to stand on his feet with minor scrapes on his body. He was a little shaken up by Misuki's attack, but was still able to keep his cool. "Well, I guess you were serious." He chuckled slightly while cracking his fingers. "You might be a more worthy opponent than Shadow. Let's see if your will can stand up against my power." He teleported from where he was standing straight to Misuki and then punched her in the stomach, causing her to writhe in pain. He then picked her up by the throat and tossed her.

Misuki coughed and spit up fluids before she was able to stand back up again. "This…is nothing." She wheezed out. "I've been stabbed right through the chest. Compared to that…" She had to stop and take a few breaths. "…this is nothing." She took in a few breaths and prepared for a Chaos Arrow attack. "CHAOS ARROW!" She fired nine arrows at Nazo, which he easily avoided by levitating into the air.

"Why would you think those would work the second time? Come on, sweet cakes. Show me a good time."

Misuki gritted her teeth and growled at him. Her fist began glowing bright red. It wasn't long before her whole body began glowing red as she called forth the powers of the Chaos Emerald. "CHAOS CONTROL!" She teleported into the air, directly in front of Nazo. She then charged up her punch and slugged him in the stomach just as hard as he did her, sending him flying. Before he got too far, Misuki performed a Chaos Blast and threw it directly at Nazo. "I got him!"

"That's what you think."

"What the hell!" When Misuki landed on the ground, she noticed that her attack was absorbed by Nazo. "No way! It's not possible!"

Nazo chuckled as he stared down at Misuki's shocked face. "What's the matter, sweet cakes? Lost your cool there? You'll be surprised at what I do next."

He fired the attack straight back at her, but this time…it was more powerful than when Misuki fired it. 'Crap, I can't block it! I just have to move!' She was able to move from the line of fire, but the force of it when it collided with the ground pushed Misuki back. She got burned slightly and had scrapes from skidding across the pavement. This time, Misuki was in bad shape as she succumbed to her wounds and found that her strength was slowly draining. She was barely conscious.

"Misuki, can you hear me!?"

A voice she knew all too well called her and brought her back from the point of passing out. "Sha…dow…" She looked up and sure enough she was in the arms of Shadow. His eyes contained tears that were locked away and couldn't escape. She could feel his heart pounding in concern for her.

"If it isn't Shadow!" Nazo exclaimed, as he landed back to the ground. "I was beginning to think you'd never show up. Your pet was keeping me entertained until you showed up. Will you step up to the plate now?"

Author's Note: I am so sorry for the delay of this chapter. I've been going through finals and I haven't had time to work on any of my stories. Also I'm having computer problems and have been forced to use school computers and my mom's. But my mom's computer doesn't have Word and I'm trying to get a trial version for Summer Break.

But until then, entertain yourself with this chapter and I will update as soon as I can. Please R&R ^_^


	9. Emotions Run High

**Chapter Eight: Emotions Run High**

**Shadow: **"What will you do, Shadow?" Nazo continued taunting Shadow and Misuki. "I have more than enough energy to fight you next."

"You damned bastard." Shadow growled as he clenched Misuki closer to him.

"Shadow..." Misuki exhaled. He looked down at her and changed his expression quickly. Misuki attempted to sit up, grabbing a hold of Shadow's coat to pull herself up. "...let me go. I'm...not done with..."

"Misuki, you can't fight him anymore!" He told her. "You're severely injured."

She continued fighting against him, but eventually stopped due to her wounds and exhausted body. "I...have to...pro...tect you."

'Protect me?'

Nazo laughed as he landed in front of the two of them. "Have you figured it out yet, Shadow? Your pet took your place in order to keep you from getting a severe beat down. You see how she's suffering due to her internal wounds? At one point...that was you. The only difference is, her wounds are not life threatning."

Shadow let Misuki rest on the pavement as he stood up.

Misuki grabbed his hand before he was able to pull it away. "Please, Shadow. Don't fight him."

"I'll be fine." He gently pulled her hand from his and faced Nazo.

Nazo stared Shadow down, giving him a sinister smile. "So you're going to fight me after all. Despite you having a girlfriend, you seem to still have a rebel personality."

Hearing that, Shadow felt himself shift back into the cold person he once was. Was this a trap set by Nazo? "I won't let you get in my head! I'll make you feel Misuki's pain! CHAOS CONTROL!" Shadow teleported behind Nazo and prepared to grab him and slam him into the pavement. Before he could grab him, Nazo ducked down and punched Shadow in his stomach, launching him into the air. Before he could recover, Nazo used the force of his arm and rammed it into his throat, putting Shadow in an armlock.

"Tell me this isn't the best you can do."

Shadow couldn't answer nor get out of Nazo's grip.

Nazo let out a soft chuckle before throwing Shadow into the ground, a few feet in front of Misuki. "What was that about making me feel her pain, Shadow?" He sighed while stretching as if he was doing a regular work-out routine. "You put up more of a fight the first time. This is just sad." He took a step towards Shadow, when he was struck by a bullet in the shoulder. "What the hell!?"

He quickly jumped back when G.U.N. soldiers swarmed in and created a wall around Misuki and Shadow. Shadow managed to get to his knees and turn his attention to Misuki. He saw Rouge lift her up and support her.

"Shadow, leave this to us!" the Commander told him, placing a hand on his shloulder to get his attention.

"Commander, you need to pull your men back!" he warned him. "Nazo isn't the type to be underestimated! Look what he did to Misuki. Your men won't be so lucky."

"If we don't try, then we aren't wothy of being called G.U.N." the Commander went ahead to command the army while Shadow went to check on Misuki.

Once he got to her, a medical soldier was examining her injuries. "Will she be alright?" Shadow asked.

"Her injuries are severe, but she's going to make it." the soldier replied. "The only thing I can do is stop the bleeding. I don't have the right equiment to fully treat her."

"I can treat her once I take her back home. But right now..." he turned his attenion to Rouge. "...we need to help the soldiers fight against Nazo."

"We need to hurry." Rouge told him.

Before they took off, Misuki grabbed Rouge's leg and stopped them. "Let me give it...one more shot." she whispered.

"Misuki, you have to rest." Shadow told her.

She pushed his hand away from her and looked straight at him. "This is my fight! I'll be damned if I let him hurt you again!" The new strength she developed right then allowed her to stand on her own and get in one final attack.

Shadow blocked her from walking towards the battlefield. He grabbed her shoulders. "Misuki, think about this. You'll only worsen your condition."

"Let go of me, Shadow! I have to finish this!"

"Misuki, you won't last against him." Rouge told her.

"I've lasted this long!" She exclaimed.

Rouge activated her jetpack and headed towards the battlefield with two guns in her hands.

Misuki tried to go after her, but Shadow held her back. "We have to stop her! She's not going to last!" When she looked past Shadow, Misuki saw most of the soldiers lying on the ground in pools of blood. A few of them were squirming on the ground, covering their wounds or crawling to their fallen men. Shadow turned and witnessed the horror, causing him to hold Misuki as close to him as he could. "Rouge, don't go near him!"

Shadow set Misuki down by the medical soldier and told him to watch over her while he went to help Rouge.

"Come back, Shadow!" Misuki cried out, but Shadow fought his urge to look back at her.

"Rouge, don't attack him!" Shadow called out to her, but she didn't listen. The next thing he knew, Rouge fired both guns at Nazo and saw that they did no damage to him whatsoever.

Nazo laughed at the effort and physically attacked Rouge more violently than he did Misuki and then slamed her into the ground. He then dusted off his hands as if fighting these people was just a chore. "This is becoming very boring." He admitted as Shadow ran over to Rouge to see her condition up close. "Misuki at least tried to entertain me. Now it's your turn, Shadow. I've wasted enough time with these extras. Let's get things back on track."

Looking at all of the damage Nazo has done in a matter of minutes, Shadow's rage increased and got ready to attack him with all the power he could build. But a beam of light rushed past him and hit Nazo in the arm, causing some damage. Shadow looked behind him to see that Misuki had fired one of her Chaos Arrows at Nazo. But the first thing he noticed was that her body was glowing bright red. She looked the same as she did when Black Doom was threatning the planet.

"Damn it!" Nazo exclaimed, holding his damaged arm. "I'll let you have this one! But I still claim the prize!" He pulled out the Chaos Emerald before teleporting away from the scene.

Shadow continued staring at the sky, not knowing what to feel at this point. Just before he slipped into a trance, he looked up to see more planes arrive at the scene along with ambulances. What caught Shadow's surprise was Knuckles and Sonic coming in.

Knuckles went straight towards Misuki while Sonic came to check on Shadow's condition. "Hey, are you with us, Shadow?" He placed a hand on his shoulder to get a response out of him.

Shadow flinched when Sonic touched him and then nodded at his question. "Yeah, I'm just...trying to analyze everything that went down just now." He turned his attention to Misuki, who was being examined by one of the doctors before being loaded into an ambulance. "Despite all of her wounds and her weakened body...she wouldn't let anyone step into the fight. I have a feeling she's becoming careless and I can't do anything to stop her."

"After seeing al of this, I agree with you. But...she did it for you."

"Is it really worth it?" He asked. "That's all I wanna know."

As they were talking, Knuckles came up to them. "Well, Misuki is going to be taken into the hospital for examination. They said one of us can ride with her." He stared at Shadow as he told them the news.

"I'll ride with her." Shadow silently walked towards the ambulance and got in as the doctors were putting an I.V. into Misuki's arm. Before they closed the door, Shadow told Sonic, "I'll call you when Misuki is in better condition!"

"We'll be waiting!"

Shadow sat in the waiting room, laid back in the chair, contemplating everything that is going on. Being in the hospital reminded him of when Misuki got impaled through the chest by Black Doom. The thought of her being on her death bed back then made a big impact on him to the point where he began praying for guidance.

"Excuse me, are you friends with Misuki Hikotsu?" After almost two hours of waiting, a male nurse walked up to Shadow with a clipboard.

"Yes, she's my girlfriend." He stood up and shook his hand. "Is she okay?"

"She was pretty banged up, but she's going to be okay."

Shadow let out a breath of relief after hearing the good news.

"We have to keep her here over night. Tomorrow, we'll put her through some physical therapy to see if she is well enough to go home."

"Can I go in and see her?"

"Actually, we gave her some pain medicine and she's asleep right now. It's best if we let her rest. We'll call you the second visiting hours are open tomorrow. Will that be alright?"

"Yes it will. Thank you very much." Shadow shook the nurse's hand one last time before heading towards the exit.

"Shadow, is that you?"

Shadow looked to his side and recognized the doctor who helped treat Misuki the last time she stayed here.

He walked over to Shadow with a smile. "Hey, how've you been?" He patted Shadow on the shoulder before giving him a quick man-hug.

"Been okay, I guess." He tried to show emotion, but failed miserably.

"I've read everything the papers wrote about you and your friends. You really do have alot on your hands."

"You have no idea."

He let out a soft chuckle. "Misuki told me you guys just celebrated your two-year anniversary. Congradualtions."

"Thanks. How much did she tell you about our anniversary?"

"She did mention that this Nazo character came in and ruined everything. Not only him, but someone by the name of Silver came in aswell."

The mention of Silver for some reason sent a chill down Shadow's spine and arms. "Yeah. It's hard to tell which of the two she's more pissed at." Shadow told the doctor.

"To be fair, after seeing what she looked like, and what she told me about the battle, I'd say she's more angry at Nazo." He laughed it off again.

"She's seriously becoming a handful." he admitted. "Even in the condition she's in now, she'd still fight."

"Yep, she's that girl that doesn't let anything hold her back and goes one step beyond her limit."

"Not even one step; two leaps is a better description." He and the doctor ended up laughing at that.

"Well, I have to get back to work. It was good to see you again, Shadow. I'm glad to see you doing well for yourself compared to the first time we talked."

"Blame Misuki for that." He said. "I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for her."

The doctor laughed again. "You two really are a perfect match for each other. Well, take care of yourself, Shadow."

"You too." Shadow watched him walk off while realizing that his mood had lightened up a bit. He was blessed that he had people who knew how to pick him up. But again, he felt that his identity was a stranger to himself while everyone else knew exactly what to say to make him feel better. 'Maria...maybe you could give me a sign; an answer. How can people who know nothing about me calm me when I'm depressed, and I can't even do that to myself? I understand Misuki and the gang having that ability. But...a person I only talked to one time carried a conversation with me and somehow I feel better than how I did when I came into the hospital with scarring memories opening up again.'

He knew he wasn't going to get an answer right there but he hoped it would come sooner than later. When he got back home, Sonic and Knuckles were sitting on the couch with Amy and Vector.

"How's Misuki doing?" Knuckles asked as he stood up in concern.

"The nurse said she was going to be okay. They have to keep her overnight, but they said they'd call once visiting hours comence."

"How are you holding up?" Sonic asked him.

Shadow didn't answer. He sighed and walked into the kitchen to grab a drink.

Sonic followed him, standing in front of the entrance. "You're blaming yourself again, aren't you?"

He took a sip of his drink and stared at Sonic. "It's not that I'm baming myself. Honestly...I don't know what I'm feeling. Alot of emotions ran through my head when I watched Misuki get taken for treatment. The way she was determined to fight at the scene...nothing I said slowed her down. To make it worse, just a while ago she was petrified when Silver told her she would lose her life. Now she's just throwing it out there!" His rage went out of control to the point where he crushed his drink, making a mess all around his feet.

Sonic took the can from him and set it in the sink. "Okay, Shadow. Take a breath for a moment."

He waited for Shadow to breathe for a while. "I'm sorry. Again...everything is running through my head." Shadow grabbed a paper towel and wiped off some of the drink that got on his coat. "It's possible that Misuki is acting out like this because of her fear."

"That is a possibility. We'll be able to talk to her tomorrow."

"Until then, there's someone else I need to talk to." Shadow threw the paper towel away and headed towards the infirmary where Silver was sitting up in his bed. "Silver, is there anything else about Nazo that you can tell us?"

"I told you everything I know. No other information I give will make this any easier."

"Today...Misuki fought against Nazo in my place. By the time I got there...she was severely injured. But she kept going." He took in a breath to get rid of the brief reminder of that day's events. "I wanna know...was Misuki reckless in the beginning of all of this despite her not knowing about her death?"

Silver looked down at his hands that gripped his sheets. He answered Shadow's question with hesitation. "Not as much as now...but yes. She did throw herself into battle whenever it presented itself. She did it for you and her friends. Just like now."

Shadow took in another breath to calm himself. He knew Misuki was strong and spontaneous, even when she was a little girl. "Were there any times she listened to me or anyone in our group and stayed away from the battle?"

"A few times. But Shadow, Misuki might not act like she did the first time this happened. Because of the information I've given you, you're all going to act differently than your future selves. For example, despite Misuki's behavior and your injuries, you weren't as stressed as you are now."

Shadow brushed his bangs back, only to have them fall back into his face while letting out a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry for putting you through all of this stress and confusion, Shadow." Silver apologized.

"It's not your fault." Shadow said to him, trying to straighten himself out. "It's Nazo's fault for starting all of this. Just right now...I'm figuring out how to deal with Misuki. I'm not sure if you know what Misuki and I have been through."

"Actually, I do." Silver admitted to him. "Misuki told me everything that happened with you and her. To be honest, she warmed up to me very quickly." he chuckled.

Shadow chuckled along with him, lighting up his mood. "She wasn't as reckless as she's becoming now. She did get into trouble. But...she didn't mean to."

"Shadow...my advice is to show her patience for now. She's just acting out due to the events that are occuring around her."

"How are your injuries?" Shadow didn't have anything else to say on the subject, so he decided to chage it.

Silver was taken off guard by Shadow's question, but then smiled. "I'm almost fully healed. I'll be in full health tomorrow."

"You sure about that?"

"It's a promise." Silver winked at Shadow, which lifted the mood a little more

Shadow nodded, taking his word for it and feeling satisfied with the support being given to him. "Well, I guess I'll turn in for now. I need to rest after everything that went on today."

"That's a good idea."

"I'll see you later I guess." Shadow said as he headed towards the door.

"I promise I will get you guys through this." Silver said to him.

Shadow looked back at him and nodded before heading back to his room. He undressed and then laid out in the bed, feeling incomplete without Misuki beside him.

_Shadow and Dr. Hikotsu were walking down the hall after leaving his office. Halfway through, they saw Misuki walking towards them with a small bear in her hand. "Misuki, it's way passed your bedtime." her father informed her as he approached her and knelt to her height._

_ "I had a nightmare and got scared." she said in an exhausted tone. "I wanted Shadow to stay with me so he could scare them away."_

_ Dr. Hikotsu smiled as he stood up straight and looked at Shadow._

_ Shadow looked at Misuki, a little confused. Just a week ago she was afraid of him. He was surprised that after saving her from being taken hostage, she opened up to him almost immediately. His thoughts were interrupted when Misuki tugged on his clothes and looked up at him. _

_ "Will you protect me?" she asked him. "I don't want to be alone."_

_ Hearing that lit a fire inside of Shadow like never before. The fact that this little girl pushed him away since he first woke up, now wanted him to protect her from nightmares made him feel a happiness he felt familiar with, but didn't know from where. He picked her up and looked at her. "I won't let those nightmares hurt you. Let's get to bed." Misuki wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder as he walked her back to her room. Once there, he laid her in the bed, tucked her in and then let her rest against him. As he watched her sleep, Shadow thought about how fragile she was. It made him happy that he could bring this small child a sense of calmness and safety. That moment, he found his purpose for being there._

Author's Note: I seriously apologize for taking so long with this. My computer went to crap and I had to use my mom's computer. It doesn't have Microsoft Word; it has WordPad. I had to get used to using it, but then I went through a writer's block and have been stuck for a while. But I got my passion back and returned to this fanfiction. Again, I am very sorry for the delay.


	10. Taking Action

**Chapter Nine: Taking Action**

**Shadow: **In the afternoon, the gang got a call from the hospital saying that visiting hours are open and Misuki had been asking for them since that morning. Shadow, Sonic, Amy, Cream, Cheese, Knuckles and Charmy headed to the hospital to see Misuki.

When they got there, they were greeted by the Doctor. "Hello there, Shadow. You and your friends came right on time."

"Has Misuki's condition impoved?" Knuckles asked, standing next to Shadow.

"She was feeling much better when she woke up." he told them. "She still has bandages in a few places, but her wounds mostly consisted of scrapes and bruises. She didn't have serious bone fractures. It was just some internal bleeding. Come with me. She'll be happy to see all of you." The doctor led them towards Misuki's room. When they got there, the doctor opened the door and began to talk to Misuki. "Hello, Misuki. How are you feeling?"

"Better."

Shadow took in a breath when he heard her voice.

"I brought your friends here." He let Shadow and the others pass him.

They all said hi to Misuki as they gathered in the room.

"I'm so happy to see all of you." Misuki said, sitting up in the bed.

"I'll come back later to check on you." The doctor showed himself out of the room.

Shadow took a seat on the edge of the bed and placed his hand atop of Misuki's. "I'm glad you're doing okay." he said to her.

Misuki looked into Shadow's eyes. "Are you angry with me?"

Shadow took in a breath and just stared at her while pondering his emotions. "No, I'm not angry." He told her. "I was more...scared than angry. I was barely any help to you during the fight. No matter what I said to you, you continued to go after Nazo."

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Shadow. But...I did what I did out of pure fear. When Silver told me how bad Nazo was going to hurt you I wanted to make him suffer for it."

"I understand that, Misuki. But you didn't care about the injuries that you already had. You could've been hurt even worse than..."

"Shadow, I know that okay!?" Misuki ran her fingers through her bangs and took in a few breaths to calm herself down. "I know my injuries could've been much worse and I know that I was putting myself in danger. Whether you were with me or not, I wasn't going to stop fighting! You should know by now, Shadow, that I don't play the damsel-in-distress role, nor have I ever played such a cliched role! Once I get into a fight, I will do everything in my power to finish it!"

"I get that, Misuki." Shadow said to her. His grip tightened on her hand. "That's one quality that I admire about you. However...I just ask that you know your limit and don't overdo certain things."

Misuki sighed and looked down at her lap before looking back up at Shadow again. "I'm sorry, Shadow." Her voice was soft. "Like I said...I can't help but get involved when people close to me are threatened. I'd rather take any and all damage and pain than allow any of my friends and family to be hurt. But..." she chuckled slighty as she came to a realization in her life. "...I guess after this battle for the Emeralds began, I stopped caring for my well-being as well as how others would feel if I got hurt. I know that sounds selfish."

"That's not true, Misuki." Sonic told her, standing behind Shadow. "Despite your actions, we know you do what you do because you care for us. We'd all do the same thing for you."

Misuki smiled and looked at all of her friends standing around her. "The truth is...the reason I put myself in danger for you, is because I'm..." Misuki took in a breath. "...I'm afraid of losing my family again." Everyone stared at her. "I was too weak to protect my father and Shadow when G.U.N. invaded my home. But now I'm stronger. I have the power to fight against anything that threatens you all."

Shadow continued looking into her eyes, getting a feel of her emotions just through her hand. He squeezed her hand in his. "It all makes sense now." he said.

Misuki nodded. "I do get scared when I fight. But it's worth it if I can keep you and everyone safe."

"That makes two of us." Shadow took Misuki in his embrace and watched all of her anxiety vanish. "I get scared when I'm out firghting aswell. At first...I didn't know why. But then I realized...it was for you. Fighting Black Doom, his clones and Eggman; I would give up my life before I let anyone hurt you."

"I guess we have more in common than we thought." Misuki giggled out. "I love you so much, Shadow. I swear I'll try to control myself."

Shadow broke the embrace and then leaned in and kissed Misuki tenderly for a while. "I love you too." he said softly. He wiped away the one tear that escaped Misuki's eye and held her face in his hands. He was able to see his whole path within her. He was reminded of the hurdles he had to jump just to realize how important she was to him and how much she would do to keep him by her side.

A knock came at the door and then it opened to reveal the doctor. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"It's okay." Shadow said, moving his hands back to Misuki's.

"I have to give Misuki some medicine that will possibly make her a little drowzy."

"Would Shadow be able to come back and spend the night with me?" Misuki asked.

"I don't see why not." he told her. "Would you be able to come back here before eight, Shadow?"

"I think I can."

"Then it's settled."

Shadow kissed Misuki on the forehead as he rose up from the bed. "I'll be back here tonight, okay?"

Misuki nodded with a smile. "Bye, guys."

"Get plenty of rest, Misuki. We'll see you soon." Sonic said before he left the room.

"Wait Shadow." Misuki called to him before he got too close to the door. "Umm...how's Silver doing?"

Everyone else paused slightly after Misuki asked that. Shadow stared at her for a while, processing what she just asked him. "He's...doing better. Do you want me to tell him you asked about him?"

She quickly changed his expression to a smirk as she crossed her arms, pretending she didn't care that much for Silver's well-being. "Doesn't matter to me. I only care cause we need him to point us in the right direction to stop Nazo."

Shadow chuckled at the obvious cocern he saw in her face. "Suit yourself. I'll see you later." He waved at Misuki and the doctor as he left with the others.

When they got home, Shadow sat on the couch, feeling exhausted from the conversation he had with Misuki about her risking her life in fear of losing them. Her words echoed through his mind. As did the image of her body lying dead on a cold ground. The image broke when his phone began to ring in his coat pocket. He stared at his pocket before reaching into it and answering the phone. "Shadow speaking."

"Hey Shadow. It's Rouge."

Shadow sat up straight on the couch the moment he heard Rouge's voice. "Rouge, are you okay?"

"Wow, didn't know you were that concerned about me." She chuckled. "I'll be okay. Luckily I just came out with a sprained wrist. How are things on your end?"

"Misuki's in the hospital. They want to keep her for one more night. But she's going to be okay."

"Well, that's good." Rouge said. "The Commander isn't happy that most of his men were killed and some severely wounded. There was a ceremony for the ones that died in the line of battle. After it ended, the ones that had broken bones or had a body part amputated resigned from G.U.N. Our forces are running low, and we're not sure how long it's going to take to train new recruits."

"Do I need to fill out the report for this operation?"

"No, he's doing it himself. He's not angry with you if that's what you're wondering."

Shadow leaned back on the couch while running his fingers through his bangs. "Why can't we just have an easy life? We were fine for two years. The only thing we had to worry about was Eggman. Now...we're repeating the Black Doom incident."

"Is that what you want...or is that what you want for Misuki?"

Shadow paused for a while. The amswer came to him very quickly, since it's been a dream of his the day he reunited with Misuki. "I think we both know the answer to that."

He heard Rouge chuckle over the phone. "Well, I'd better get off here. I still have some things to take care of."

"Okay. Thanks Rouge. I'll be in touch."

"Later." Shadow hung up the phone and tucked it back into his pocket.

"Hey Shadow." Silver came up to him, fully recovered. All he had on were a pair of baggy shorts and a towel hanging across his neck.

"I see you're doing alot better."

Silver chuckled. "Yeah, I was sparring with Espio and Vector. I feel so refreshed and ready to take on Nazo." He sat down next to Shadow and turned on the television. "Is Misuki doing okay?"

"Yeah, she's okay. She'll be home tomorrow." He paused for a short while, giggling slightly. "She actually asked about you."

Silver looked at him with amazment. "She did?"

"Yeah, I was shocked too. Her face was the brightest red I've ever seen." Shadow found himself holding back a laugh. "I told her you were doing better. Then she went back to acting like she didn't care. Misuki isn't the type of person to hold a grudge over trivial things. Even if she did, she wouldn't fully shun you."

"Honestly, I don't blame her." Silver said. "Girls do get upset when their wedding or anniversary is interrupted. It's just in their nature. Misuki is no acception."

"That's true. Anyway, we have to anticipate Nazo's next move."

Silver's eyes narrowed a bit as he took in a deep breath. "It's hard to tell exactly what he did after this attack. Tell me, how much damage did he take in the fight?"

Shadow recaped the time he got there to help Misuki. "By the time I got there, Nazo had an advantage over Misuki. But getting a good look at him, it seemed like she managed to do some damage to him. Especially when she used her Chaos Arrow. That was the very last attack she used before he left the scene. So it's safe to say he's recovering from his wounds."

"But like me, Nazo's injuries will heal quickly on their own."

"I guess the only thing we can do is prepare ourselves for the next attack." Shadow took off his trench coat and relaxed with Silver on the couch until it was time for him to go to the hospital.

**Misuki: **A knock came at the door while she was eating her chocolate pudding. "Come in." She swallowed the last bit of pudding and then wiped her mouth with her hand just as Shadow entered the room with a small convenient store bag. "I see you kept your promise." She joked.

"I always keep my promise." He took a seat on the edge of the bed and sat the bag down next to him. "I brought you some snacks." He reached into the bag and pulled out several items. "Some snack cakes, candies, pastries and three different soda drinks."

"Wow, you really went all out didn't you?" she laughed. "Do plan to get me on a sugar high and keep me up all night?"

Shadow shared a laugh with her. He put all of the things back in the bag and set it on the couch before taking Misuki's hand and kissed it. The feel of his lips made her skin shiver with excitement. It felt like an eternity since Misuki felt the warmth of his lips, despite earlier in the day when he kissed her. But to her, this one felt more passionate for some reason. He looked up ay Misuki, but no words formed, even though he obviously was preparing to say something.

Instead, he took Misuki into his embrace. 'There's more passion in his touch than any words he could speak.' Tears began to escape from her eyes as she held onto him tightly. "You really are my shield." She spoke through her sobs. "I can alwalys be myself around you and all of my pain is absorbed by you."

Shadow's breathing was steady as he kept a hold of Misuki. "Misuki...never change. Keep being you and making everyone smile."

All Misuki could do was smile and bury herself within Shadow's chest. When they were getting ready to go to sleep, Shadow pushed the couch closer to the bed so they could keep a hold of each other's hands as they slept. Shadow ended up falling asleep first. Misuki just smiled at him while taking in the touch of his hand and caressing with with her own. 'Promise me, Shadow; never let me go.'

In the morning, Misuki went back home whith Shadow. Of course, everyone was really glad to see her. To celebrate it, Misuki wanted to make riceballs for everyone. She did and set a plate out for everyone to grab as many as they wanted. The last person to grab one was Silver, who had to survive a staredown with Misuki. All of the uncomfortable tension in the room came from her. She forced it out, waiting to see how Silver would respond to it. There was no response from him, but she could see some faint sweating. It dripped down from his forehead. "I see you're all healed." She finally spoke, picking up a riceball and handing it to him, still refusing to smile. "We're gonna really need you from here on in."

Silver didn't care that Misuki wasn't smiling at him. He was just happy that she was showing a sign of peace between them. He took the riceball and bit into it. "Boy, these are good."

"Glad you like it." Misuki turned her head to hide her flushed face. "Anyway, I'm gonna go do some training. I need to keep my strength up." She walked past Silver, hoping he didn't see her face. She really did want to show some expression to him, but her uneasiness forced her to hold it back.

"Misuki, hold on." Silver called to her. She stopped just past the kicthen. "We're...cool, right?"

'Is he for real?' Misuki glanced at him from the corner of her eye, processing Silver's words. She stared at him for a few seconds before sighing and continuing on. "You're off the hook." She told him as she turned the corner and headed towards the work-out room. Her mind began to wander until it replayed the battle she had with Nazo. A sharp pain passed through her just as she entered the room.

"You alright, Misuki?"

Misuki fought through her pain and looked at Knuckles. He was soon followed by Sonic. "I'm fine. Laying in a hospital bed drains you. I came here to get a work-out in."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Sonic asked her. "You just came from the hospital."

"If I have to sit around any longer, I'll go insane. Just let me have this. How about it, Knuckles? Ready to spar?"

Knuckles stared at Misuki with wide eyes, looking back and forth between her and Sonic. "Come on, Knux. Just a little match. I need to move my muscles."

"What do you think, Sonic? Should I do it?"

Sonic couldn't do anything but shrug his shoulders and side with Misuki. "I'd say go for it. This is the infamous Misuki we're dealing with."

Misuki walked past the two towards the arena and stretched while waiting for Knuckles to follow behind her and stand before her. They began to throw punches and kicks back and forth at each other. Misuki started slow at first, but then she felt her strength returning and dodged Knuckles' attacks. Her heart raced; adrenaline ran through her muscles, controlling her movements. _Come on, sweet cakes! Is that the best you can do? _Color left Misuki's face as she heard Nazo's voice mocking her. At this point, she was no longer fighting Knuckles; she was fighting the images in her mind that plagued her. His laughter echoed all around her, causing her to become more aggressive in her attacks. The last image that appeared in front of her eyes was of Nazo throwing Shadow to the ground, severely hurting him while laughing. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Her fist flew into the air, sending Nazo into the air in a spiral. To her, it felt as if her fist was detaching from her arm.

She didn't blink once as her mind came back to reality, where she saw Knuckles leaning against the wall under a hugs hole in the wall. Misuki stared as Sonic went right to Knuckles' side."Wha...What did I..."

"What the hell's going on in here!?" Vector asked, barging in with the others.

Misuki turned and stared at them with her fist still held up and tears falling from her bloodshot eyes. The first person she made eye contact with was Shadow. He ran up to her and placed a hand on her face before using his other hand to lower her fist. "Misuki...what happened?" He could see that she was shocked and slightly traumatized.

She looked back at Knuckles who was back on his feet and headed over towards her. "I...I don't..." She finally blinked several times, realizing that she had let Nazo get into her head. Without a word, Misuki ran out of the the gym and straight to her room where she sobbed heavily in her bed, soaking her pillow.

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so long. I had to re-read all of the previous chapters to get an idea of where I wanted to go with this one. I had an idea at first, but I forgot it and so I had to just leave this alone for a while before deciding how to proceed. Hope you all like it.

Please R&R


End file.
